Other uses for this poacher I just bought

surfjunky

Good sale on in kitchen section of Arnotts. I picked up this tiny poacher
http://www.arnotts.ie/Product/Judge-10cm-Mini-Poacher-Pan/307078/SP400100100
It is 10cm in diametre, has a little non-stick insert to pop your egg in and a little lid.
I have two questions
The first is what other uses could I get out of this little thing; I was thinking poaching eggs and perhaps making sauces for one but what else could I do? Convince me this was an essential purchase
Secondly, I usually poach eggs in water, what would be the difference in poaching an egg in this little pan and frying (as presumably the little non-stick poaching lid would just serve to conduct heat from the boiling water underneath?)
Cheers.

nompere

I was given one of them for Christmas - and I've used it once. I rarely only eat one egg, and it's pretty useless for doing two, though I did try.

It's not really a poached egg, as a proper poached egg is cooked in water. When I was younger I heard it said that an egg cooked in that sort of poaching pan is much closer to a coddled egg.

I looked up coddled egg and found this in wikipdeia which confirms my belief.

The term is also commonly, but incorrectly, applied to an alternative method whereby the egg is placed in a cup, suspended over boiling water, using a special pan called an "egg-poacher". This is usually a wide-bottomed pan with an inner lid, with holes containing a number of circular cups that each hold one egg, with an additional lid over the top. To cook, the pan is filled with water and brought to a boil. The outer lid holds in the steam, ensuring that the heat surrounds the egg completely. The cups are often lubricated with butter in order to effect easy removal of the cooked egg, although non-stick egg poachers are also available.

The result is very similar to the traditional coddled egg, although these steamed eggs are often cooked for longer, and hence are firmer. Eggs so prepared are often served on buttered toast.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poached_egg

I'm very fond of both proper poached eggs and those that come out of a poacher. I'm not knocking a poaching pan in general, just the mini one I was given.

They're a nightmare to balance on a gas hob, and it's very hard to cook fast enough if you put a diffuser over the gas ring to allow the pot to sit without tipping over.

They would work better on some sort of solid ring.

surfjunky

I've yet to use it Nompere but I have an electric hob so won't have the balancing issue you had - I thought I might be able to use it to make blinis too. While I've never made blinis before I might just have to make some to justify my purchase!

Mellor

Wouldn't blini be made in a frying pan?

wonderfulname

nompere wrote: »

coddled egg

So that's its real name! Its always been "egg in a cup" in my family.

Little Acorn

Anyone ever try the poachers from the Kleeneze catalogues?
The ones in the top left corner of the left page look pretty good, and are reasonable value - get 2 for 7.95euro.
http://my.page-flip.co.uk/?userpath=00000013/00012513/00053405/&page=12

Better Image:
http://www.releasewire.co.uk/release/kleeneze/egg-cellent-ideas-for-the-kitchen-from-kleeneze/poach-pouches.jpg

[The egg perfection timer for boiled eggs on the right hand page looks cool too]

I usually just make poached egg in simmering water with a tiny bit of white vinegar in the water. I give the water a good swirl before cracking the egg in, and the swirling water wraps all the egg white together, encasing the yolk.

Mellor

Little Acorn wrote: »

[The egg perfection timer for boiled eggs on the right hand page looks cool too]

I had one years ago. Got it in the supermarket.
It is perfect.

Its based on heat, so it doesn't matter if the water boils fast or slow (full or half full affects time etc), eggs added cold or boiling this think co-relates everytime. I never got an egg wrong.

Little Acorn

Mellor wrote: »

I had one years ago. Got it in the supermarket.
It is perfect.

Its based on heat, so it doesn't matter if the water boils fast or slow (full or half full affects time etc), eggs added cold or boiling this think co-relates everytime. I never got an egg wrong.

Sounds class! I hate when I over boil my egg.
Still waiting for the Kleeneze rep to call back around for orders, so will try to pick one up.:)