Poached eggs are not something I ever made at home until a few weeks ago. They always seemed so complicated to make. Swirling the simmering water into a vortex and then gently lowering the egg into this seemed like a recipe for disaster. But then I started seeing people making them in the microwave all over Instagram. I wondered if it could really work.

It took me over a dozen eggs until I finally cracked the code! (a little egg humour there). The problem is that all microwaves are different with respect to wattage. Home microwaves can range from 600-1200 watts. Timing will depend on your oven’s wattage. It will take a bit of trial and error, but soon you will be poaching like a pro.

Check out this video to see how I do it.

Tips for success:

• Start egg in boiling water rather than room temperature, to give the whites a head start on setting.
• Add about a teaspoon of vinegar to the water. The acid helps to coagulate the whites so you do not end up with feathery whites.
• Use 80% power. I discovered that 100% power set the yolk too quickly and I had undercooked whites.
• Start with the freshest eggs you can find when poaching. With fresh eggs, the yolk sits up high, and the white is thick and surrounds the yolk. An older egg has a thinner, watery white.
• Do not crack egg on edge of bowl. It encourages shells to fall into bowl. Crack egg on counter or tap with a spoon to crack it.
• Cover the bowl with a microwave safe plate to prevent exploding yolks and to create steam to help whites set more evenly.
• After 30-35 seconds, use a spoon to gently turn the egg so that the yolk gets entirely surrounded by the white. Continue cooking for a further 10-15 seconds. If the white is not completely set, continue cooking in 5 second intervals until you learn the sweet spot for your microwave.
• Drain egg on a towel right away, to prevent further cooking.