Pierce eggs lengthwise with a well-heated
spit and parch them over the fire as if they
were meat. They should be eaten hot. This
is a stupid invention and unsuitable and a
cooks’ joke.
— Platina, De honesta voluptate et
valetudine, 1475
Poached Eggs A poached egg is a
containerless, soft-cooked egg that generates
its own skin of coagulated protein in the first
moments of cooking. Slid raw into a pan of
already simmering water — or cream, milk,
wine, stock, soup, sauce, or butter — it cooks
for three to five minutes, until the white has
set, but before the yolk does.
The Problem of Untidy Whites The tricky
thing about poached eggs is getting them to
set into a smooth, compact shape. Usually the
outer layer of thin white spreads irregularly
before it solidifies. It’s helpful to use fresh
Grade AA eggs shelled just before cooking,