Description
In culinary delights, few dishes exhibit the perfect balance of simplicity and sophistication quite like the perfect poached egg.
Ingredients
Units
For the soaking liquid:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2–4 eggs (either 1 or 2 eggs per person)
For the polenta
- 1/2 cup polenta
- 1 cup water (plus more as needed for texture)
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (more for serving if desired)
- 2 tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sautèed Kale
- Small bunch kale (roughly 100g)
- 1 red chilli
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 10g parsley
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine water and white vinegar.
- Gently crack the eggs into the bowl, allowing the mixture of water and vinegar to set the outside whites for easier poaching. Set aside for 10 minutes.
For tips on selecting the best eggs, see our FAQs! - Bring a pan of water to a boil. After 1Make the Polenta
- Make the polenta. Combine the water and milk in a saucepan and heat to a simmer.
- Scatter in the polenta while whisking.
- Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes until the polenta is creamy and thick, about 10-25 mins. Add a little more water as needed during cooking to stop it catching and burning on the bottom
Polenta differs by brand, and some will cook quicker than others. You will know its cooked when the mixture becomes thick like porridge, and when tasted the grains are soft and tender, not gritty and hard. The ideal texture is thick but yielding once spooned onto a plate. Add more water or milk as needed to achieve this texture. - Prepare the Chili Garlic Lemon Sauce and Sautèed Kale. In a separate frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.
- Add sliced chilli and garlic, sauté until fragrant but not browned.
- Turn off the heat, zest in the lemon, then stir in chopped parsley and set aside.
- Tip the herby sauce from the pan into a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the kale and fry until softened in the same warm pan with the residual oil.
- Stir about a third of the chilli garlic lemon sauce back into the kale, then season to taste and set aside.
- Check on the polenta. It should be thick, and when tasted, have no gritty bite to it from any uncooked polenta bits. If cooked through, stir in parmesan cheese, butter, salt, and pepper to taste. Keep warm while preparing the rest of the dish.
- After 10 minutes, use a ladle to scoop up one egg from the vinegar-water mixture. The vinegar will have gently set the outside.Lower the egg and any accompanying water from the ladle into the boiling water to poach. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
- Cook until the whites are set, and the yolks are still runny, about 3-4 minutes. Add more time if you prefer a firmer, set yolk.
- Divide the polenta and sauteed kale between two plates. Carefully place a poached egg on top of each serving
- Drizzle with the remaining chilli garlic lemon sauce. Finish with a dusting of parmesan if desired. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Eggs