Eggs rank amongst the finest breakfast ingredients, whether they’re hard or soft-boiled eggs, scrambled, fried or poached. Poached eggs typically present the most spectacular appearance, yet can prove challenging to prepare at home.
Rather than cooking them in a saucepan of bubbling water on the hob, perhaps with a splash of vinegar, there’s an alternative method available. According to cookbook author and NHS doctor Dr Chintal, poached eggs can be ready in as little as 45 seconds when using the microwave. Posting on her TikTok account @drchintalskitchen, Chintal uploaded a clip titled: “Easy microwave egg.”
She explained: “The secret to making the perfect poached egg recipe is in the microwave. Yes, you can make the perfect poached egg in under a minute in the microwave.”
In the caption, Chintal wrote: “My favourite hacker ever! Poached eggs in the microwave in just 45 seconds. So much quicker and easier than on the hob and just as good.”
For this technique, begin by adding approximately 150ml of freshly boiled water into a microwave-safe dish. You simply need sufficient water to submerge the egg.
Then, crack your egg into the bowl and puncture both the yolk and white once using a sharp blade – Chintal emphasised this step is “essential to prevent it [the egg] exploding in the microwave”.
Afterwards, place a plate over the egg and microwave on full power for 45 seconds.
Chintal mentioned she uses an 850W microwave, so those with different wattage appliances may need to modify the timing accordingly. Once prepared, it’s advised to let the egg sit covered for an additional minute before dishing up.
In her video, Chintal presented her poached egg atop a slice of buttered toast and avocado slices.
Express.co.uk gave this ingenious poached egg method a go but discovered that a few extra seconds in the microwave were necessary.
Despite its convenience, this hack does require a bit of experimentation to nail down the perfect timing for your specific microwave.
