Slow Poached Eggs Method?

[bcnchef]

I read a review recently of the slow poached eggs at WD-50 and was wondering if anybody had details on the exact technique used, and if the results really are that different from a standard poached egg?

J.

[babka]

not sure about WD-50, but the cafe atlantico minibar here slow-poaches at 147 degrees for an hour (I think)--by keeping the temp. so low, the white never coagulates, but everything cooks--it's _good_.

[woodburner]

Paula Wolfert has preliminarly discussed this once or twice here. She called it "LTLT"

Low Temperature, Long Time

woodburner

[helenjp]

You can make Japanese "thermal springs eggs" by immersing eggs in their shells in water at 150 deg. F (60 deg. C) (give or take 10 deg. F or 5 deg. C as you prefer) for 30 minutes or so...or by putting an egg on top of rice on "keep warm" setting in your rice cooker for about an hour.

The ideal thermal springs egg has a soft yolk, and the white is cloudy, but in no way hard.

So to poach eggs, you might like to try something in this temperature range?

[bcnchef]

Paula -- speak to us!

:)

The rice cooker idea sounds interesting. I guess I will just have to experiment with a few different plans and see what happens.

If any of you have eaten an egg like this, is it really that different from a normal poached egg? Some people seem to think that it is creamier, but I am wondering...

Thx.

J.

[twodogs]

herve this and pierre gagnierre have a discussion and technique for this application on gagniere's web site

the principal is that egg whites coagulate at about 60 degrees celcius while yolks coagulate at 65 degrees celcius (check the site for the exact numbers) thus slow cooking allows for the custardy white and the runny yolk.

furthermore mcgee talks about these same principals in relation to fish and meat

quite interesting

cheers

[edsel]

herve this and pierre gagnierre have a discussion and technique for this application on gagniere's web site

the principal is that egg whites coagulate at about 60 degrees celcius while yolks coagulate at 65 degrees celcius (check the site for the exact numbers)  thus slow cooking allows for the custardy white and the runny yolk.

I managed to find a post by Paula Wolfert in the "Wit and Wisdom of Eggs" EGCI topic, but no amount of googling on "pierre gagnaire" and "herve this" turned up anything like the discussion you mentioned. Could you point us to the right spot? Thanks!

[twodogs]

the actual details

www.pierre-gagnaire.com

english version

science and cuisine

one egg at a temperature of 65 degrees celcius

egg whites coagulate at 62 degrees while yolks are at 68 degrees

cooking the eggs in a 65 degree oven or pot of water gives a cooked white and a soft yolk

note the recomended cooking time is an hour or so

hope this helps

cheers

ps now i wonder about different sized eggs from quail to goose

let the experiments begin

[Marlene]

Of course you could also read through Fat Guy's Poached Eggs course recently given at the eCGI

[edsel]

the actual details

www.pierre-gagnaire.com

english version

science and cuisine

one egg at a temperature of 65 degrees celcius

egg whites coagulate at 62 degrees while yolks are at 68 degrees

cooking the eggs in a 65 degree oven or pot of water gives a cooked white and a soft yolk

note the recomended cooking time is an hour or so

hope this helps

cheers

Thanks, twodogs. Don't know how I managed to miss the "Science and Cuisine" section of the site.

let the experiments begin

My first experiment last night wasn't very successful. I tried cooking the eggs in porcelain coddlers. I tried to hold the temperature between 145 and 155 Deg F per wolfert's post.

I think the problem was heat conduction through the bottom of the pan. Part of the egg was set up nearly hard (even the yolk) while the rest was soft like the one pictured on the gagnaire page. Next experiment: use a rack to keep the coddlers off of the bottom of the pan. I'll also try the lower temperature.

[ducphat30]

It is a great way to cook an egg, you have the warm yolk, texturally the same as soft poached egg, and a custard-translucently-cream white. For restaurant use, we poach them before service and keep them in a hotbox around 150-160 degrees and have not had a problem with coagulation. I know that WD-50 picks them up on the order by dropping them back into a 150 degree water bath. As with all things the better quality product the better end result with all other things being the same.

One other note, on the Gagnaire website, it looks like they poach it in a glass, if you keep it in the shell it stays more translucent, and we did not have a problem with the some one "accidentally" turning the hotbox up to 180, I am assuming that the shell and the water bath acted as buffers against the heat.

[Wolfert]

I am sure I wrote about slow cooked eggs in their shells not poached eggs in the wit and wisdom section.

f you do them out of the shell an a glass or custard cup you will need to up the external temperature to boiling to get them to coddle properly.

On some other forum, I offered the Arzak method of poaching eggs in individual plastic wrapping amd simmering in water for 7 minutes then dropping the cooked eggs in ice water to stop the cooking. Reheated for an instant in hot water before untying the ties and removing the wraps . This is really a neat trick because it produces a perfectly round-shape poached egg with with teh yolk in the center.

Edited February 20, 2004 by Wolfert (log)

[russ parsons]

what a cool idea: so you make a "sock" with glad wrap, say, and put the shelled egg in that, then you twist the top and poach it? is that how it works? i'm afraid i missed what y ou had written aabout the slow-cooked soft-boiled egg. where can i find it? it's not in the new one is it?

[woodburner]

I am sure  I wrote about slow cooked eggs in their shells not poached eggs in the wit and wisdom section.

f you do them out of the shell an a glass or custard cup you will need to up the external  temperature to boiling to get them to coddle properly.

On some other forum, I offered the Arzak method of poaching eggs in individual plastic wrapping amd simmering  in water for 7 minutes then dropping the cooked eggs in  ice water  to stop the cooking. Reheated for an instant in hot water before untying the ties and removing the wraps . This is really a neat trick because it produces a perfectly round-shape poached egg with with teh yolk in the center.

Paula,

I read that post, shortly after you wrote it. I must say, that I was truly impressed with the results. Thank you for sharing it.

woodburner

Egg Thread

Edited February 20, 2004 by woodburner (log)

[Wolfert]

Thank you. I, too, think they are terrific.

Noticing your name "woodburner" you might be interested in some of William Rubel's work in his magaic of the fire cookbook. He roasts eggs in the fireplace. I worked with him on my latest book and he created a slow oven baked egg recipe for me that tastes very similar to those baked in embers. The recipe is in my new book but if you don't have it I'll gladly send a copy of the recipe.

Another discovery I made was to cook eggs in their shells in an empty crockpot with the heat set on low..It simulated a roasted egg. Mind you, these eggs don't come out with runny yolks but the taste, texture and color are extraordinary and delicious with anchovy vinaigrette.

Are you familiar with the Velasquez painting of an old woman poaching eggs in olive oil in a terracotta dish?. Everything is very static except for the eggs which seem (the longer you stare at the painting) to coagulate and form around the egg!.

Edited February 21, 2004 by Wolfert (log)

[bcnchef]

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions.

I am familiar with Arzak´s "Egg Flower", having enjoyed it last summer. It was fantastic, but it is too labour-intensive for our place. Individually hand-tying and setting up the eggs in plastic-wrap will take up someone's entire morning. I need a method which works in the shell, ideally, and which I can hold at the right temperature during service. The hotbox idea sounds like a winner if I can figure out the details.

I am going to do some experimenting this weekend with the various methods outlined above and see what I come up with. I will post my findings later in the week.

Thanks again!

Jordi.

--

bcnchef@hotmail.com

[twodogs]

not a great day in research and development.

tested roasted eggs in an oven set at 170 degrees f

eggs were tested from 45 minutes to 60 minutes in five minute intervals.

quality of eggs was ok but not something to write home about.

tested eggs in a waterbath in a 170 degree oven from 45 minutes to 75 minutes at five minute intervals. seven raw eggs resulted

note tests take place at over 7000 feet

cheers

ps the arzak method works quite well

if feeling decadent line the plastic wrap with black or white truffles first then tighten the string and poach. quite decadent

[Katherine]

I gave an egg an hour at 150º. The white was soft and custardy, but the yolk was cooked. After having done the temperature conversion, I can see that I should have tried it at 140º. Next time.