Weekend Breakfast of Poached Eggs in a basket

One of the things I am really enjoying with the kids being on summer holiday is that every morning is an opportunity for a weekend-like breakfast.  No rushing to get dressed, no gulping down breakfast and rushing down to the school.  Now we lounge in jammies a bit longer and cook a big hot breakfast.  Some days it is a fruit- or nut- or fruit and nut-filled oatmeal, sometimes it is a frittata, pancakes, waffles or eggs in a basket.

The kids love the silliness of this dish. Giggling about the name....dipping it all in ketchup.


I posted about breakfast potato/Rosti in the past.  These are no different just smaller and stacked on top of each other.  I was also out of unflavoured coconut oil so I used a blend of olive oil and butter.  It worked just as well.

There is a rumour that poaching eggs is hard but it is remarkably easy.  In fact one of the easiest, quickest, and lowest calorie ways of preparing eggs.  Poaching them so the yolk is nice and runny also preserves all the health benefits that eggs offer

You need:
Fresh eggs,  fresh eggs will be easier to poach (they'll hold together better) than older eggs.
1 to 2 tsp of vinegar (rice wine vinegar works well) optional

1. In a shallow pan bring water to almost boiling. If the water is already boiling, lower the heat until it is no longer boiling. At this point, you can add one or two teaspoons of vinegar to the water, if you want. The vinegar will help the egg whites to congeal more easily. I use seasoned rice vinegar.
2. Working with the eggs one by one, crack an egg into a small cup, then place the cup near the surface of the hot water and gently drop the egg into the water. With a spoon, nudge the egg whites closer to their yolks. This will help the egg whites hold together.
3. Turn off the heat. Cover. Let sit for 4 minutes, until the egg whites are cooked.
4.  Lift eggs out of pan with a slotted spoon.

One trick to make the eggs stay somewhat contained is to take a ring from a mason jar and place it in the pan. Drop the egg over the mason jar ring and let it settle in the ring, then turn off the heat and cover. Remove ring and lift out with slotted spoon