Poached eggs should be poached, not simmered or boiled. Start with fresh grade AA eggs cracked just moments before cooking; these have the most compact shape. Eggs more than a week old are likely to have sprawling whites and uncentered yolks. Choose a large pan so that the eggs will not be crowded. For a more elegant presentation, some cooks drain the cooked eggs against a clean dish towel and use scissors or a small knife to trim away any straggly white bits. While water is certainly the most common medium for poaching eggs, other liquids, including stock, wine, cream, milk, sauce, or soup, can be used. In some recipes these more flavorful poaching liquids are then thickened and used as a sauce for the eggs. Eggs are also sometimes poached and served directly in a soup. If you are serving a crowd, poached eggs can be transferred as they finish cooking to a wide, shallow bowl of water warmed to 150°F and held for up to 30 minutes. They can also be poached ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 24 hours; transfer to a bowl of ice water the moment they are done, then, when ready to serve, carefully transfer to a large bowl full of 150°F water, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes. Alternatively, place the chilled eggs on a bed of thick sauce or creamed or pureed vegetables in a baking dish, top with Sauce Béchamel, or one of its derivatives, and bake at 350°F until heated through, 10 to 20 minutes.
Molded eggsΓÇömade by cracking fresh eggs into individual buttered molds that are then set above gently simmering water until the white is set and the yolk is just beginning to firm upΓÇöare often used in place of poached eggs, since their perfectly round shape makes an attractive presentation.
