An egg is a staple of the breakfast table. It's easy to make, and it goes with pretty much anything you can think of. And if you're someone who likes their eggs perfectly cooked every time, sous vide is an excellent way to make sure that your eggs are cooked exactly how you like them.
In this article, we'll show you how to sous vide an egg so that you can enjoy the perfect poached or soft-boiled egg every time.
Key Takeaways
- Eggs can be cooked in many ways, but there is one method that stands out from the rest: sous vide cooking.
- With sous vide eggs, set the temperature and timer and forget about it until it beeps. It's as easy as can be.
- The results are consistently perfect every time, which makes this my go-to method for making eggs.
- In order to have perfect sous vide poached eggs, you will need sous vide machine and a water bath
- With the sous vide egg method, you can also cook as many eggs as you want at once which is great if you're feeding a crowd or hosting a brunch party.
Why Sous Vide Your Eggs?
Allows for Precise Temperature Control
Sous vide cooking allows for precise temperature control, which means that you can set your water bath at exactly the right temperature for cooking your egg.
You'll also be able to cook multiple eggs at once this way because all of them will come out perfectly cooked at the same time using just one water bath.
Consistent Results
Eggs are a staple in many kitchens, but few people know how to cook them. The most common method is to fry them in butter and flip them over until they're done. But this can be tricky and the results are inconsistent.
If you want to cook perfect soft-boiled eggs every time or hard-boiled eggs, then sous vide cooking method is for you.
You will have consistently poached cooked eggs every time because your immersion cooker will never let those temperatures go too high or low during the cooking process so that it can maintain your desired temperature throughout until it's done cooking.
No Monitoring
There's no need to keep monitoring your food during sous vide process because everything such as temperature and time is all set and ready. You can take this time to do other things like clean up around the house or get ready for work. This method is simple and quick.
How to Sous Vide an Egg
Step 1: Prepare Everything
Have your sous vide machine set up and ready before you start making sous vide egg. Prepare also a water bath by filling a container with water
Pick your Eggs
Next, you'll need some eggs. The most important thing is getting fresh eggs; the fresher the egg is, the better it will turn out. Older eggs are more difficult to peel and have an unpleasant odor when cooked for long periods of time. It's best to use fresh eggs for this recipe so you can enjoy the results at their best.
Another reason to use fresh eggs is that Salmonella bacteria can live in these foods when they are not cooked properly or when they are not stored at proper temperatures.
I like to use large eggs here because they have a nice shape once cooked which makes them look like they just came out of the shell. You can use any size or type of egg here though, including quail eggs or duck eggs.
Step 2: Set Water Temperature
Set your immersion circulator to the desired temperature of around 75C/167F. This is especially important because you need to keep the sous vide water bath covered with lid at the correct temperature throughout the entire process.
Step 3: Place the Whole Eggs in the Water Bath
Place your eggs into the water and set a timer for 20 minutes, depending on how well you like your yolk. I prefer mine with runny yolk so I cook them for 14 minutes. If you want them more cooked, cook them longer (up to 30 minutes).
Step 4: Remove Cooked Eggs from the Water
Once the timer goes off, remove sous vide eggs from the hot water and let them cool slightly before opening it up and peeling away the shell.
Sous Vide Poached Eggs
I love sous vide poached eggs. They are so simple to make and they taste amazing. The only drawback is that you have to crack the egg open, which can be a bit messy if you are not careful.
I've learned how to cook poached eggs in the sous vide water bath without breaking the yolk or cooking them too long.
Step 1: Crack Open the Eggs
The first step is to crack open the eggs into a small bowl or cup. You will be adding these raw eggs directly into a hot bath, so using clean hands is important.
Step 2: Set up your Sous Vide Machine
The next step is to set up your sous vide machine for poaching eggs. You'll want to fill up water in a large container that's large enough to fit all of your eggs at once. You'll also need to place an immersion circulator inside of a sous vide cooker so that it can hold the temperature of your water while it's cooking.
Next, set the water temperature to 75C/167F. This temperature is perfect for poaching eggs because it allows them to cook quickly while still remaining tender.
Step 3: Put your Eggs
Once your water bath has reached the desired temperature, put your eggs into the water bath for about 10-14 minutes (this may vary depending on how cooked you want your sous vide eggs to be).
Step 4: Remove Sous Vide Poached Eggs from the Water
Remove the hot poached eggs sous vide from water once they are cooked and pat with a clean kitchen towel to remove excess water and then serve.
What to Use Poached Eggs For
Poached eggs are a great breakfast food, but they can also make an excellent snack or appetizer. The soft yolk is a perfect complement to the crispy toast and crunchy vegetables.
Poached eggs are typically eaten by themselves or on top of toast or English muffins. However, there are many other ways you can use them in your cooking. Some ideas include:
With Vegetable Sides
Poached eggs are a great way to add protein and healthy fats to any vegetable side dish. This includes roasted vegetables like cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, steamed veggies like broccoli and asparagus, or even raw salad greens with vinaigrette dressing.
Sandwiches
Add a poached egg to your favorite sandwich for extra protein. Try it on an English muffin sandwich with ham and melted Swiss cheese for breakfast; in a BLT (a sandwich) for lunch; or on an open-faced roast beef sandwich for dinner.
Salads
Sous vide poached eggs add richness and flavor to salads made with greens like spinach, arugula, romaine lettuce, kale, or mixed greens. You can also add them to Greek-style salads with feta cheese, olives, and artichokes or classic Caesar salads with Parmesan cheese and anchovies.
Pasta Dish
If you’ve ever eaten at an Italian restaurant and ordered pasta primavera, chances are you were served with some fresh poached eggs on top of your noodles. This is one of my favorite dishes because it’s so simple and delicious. Just boil your pasta and add the sous vide eggs just before serving.
The Best Sous Vide Poached Eggs Recipe?
Here is my favorite recipe for sous vide poached eggs. I like to use the Anova immersion circulator, but this recipe will work with any immersion circulator or water bath that you have on hand.
Recipe for Breakfast
Cook time: 13 minutes
Servings: 3 people
Equipment: Immersion circulator
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- Pepper and Salt so the poached eggs can test better
Instructions
Prepare the water bath and set up the immersion circulator. Set temperature to 75C/167F. Add the eggs and cook for 13 minutes. Remove the sous vide eggs, add salt and pepper for good taste, and serve with vegetable sides of your choice.
How Long Does It Take?
How long does it take to sous vide eggs? The answer depends on a few factors.
First, you need to decide whether you want hard-cooked eggs or soft-boiled eggs. Hard-boiled eggs are the most common type of sous vide egg. They are easy to peel and have a firm yolk that holds its shape when sliced.
On the other hand, soft cooked eggs are cooked less so that the yolk is still runny, but not completely liquidy. If you want your egg to be more soft-boiled, then go for 146ºF and let it cook for 20 minutes; if you prefer harder-boiled, go 167 degrees F (75 degrees C) for 14 minutes.
What Equipment Is Needed?
You don't need any fancy equipment to make sous vide eggs, but there are two items that can make the process easier.
The sous vide cooking machine is one piece of equipment that you need to make sous vide eggs. It basically makes cooking eggs easy because it keeps them at a constant temperature, preventing them from overcooking or burning your sous vide meal.
The egg whites will tighten up and become more tender, which makes sous vide eggs easier to peel.
Second, you'll need a container for your sous vide bath. You can use any large pot or container that has enough space for the immersion circulator and also fits in your eggs.