Mistakes made when cooking eggs

Eggs are great for many things and while they are easy to cook, they’re also easy to mess up! Here are a few mistakes and their remedies to help you when you cook scrambled, poached or boiled eggs.

Scrambled Eggs

1. When using a cast iron skillet, you’ll find the eggs will stick to the pan and will be inedible. Use a non-stick pan instead.
2. When cooking the eggs over high heat, they will be very dry. Preheat the pan on medium heat first and then turn the dial down to medium-low to control how they cook.
3. Directly scrambling eggs in the pan gives you unattractive and streaky eggs that are mixed unevenly. Mix the eggs in a bowl instead, ensuring they are mixed well before adding them to the pan.
4. Not moving the eggs around in the pan will result in scrambled eggs that are dry. This is because a crust will form on the bottom of the eggs if they are left unattended. Move them continually around in the pan to stop this from happening.
5. Letting the eggs overcook in the pan when it has been taken of the element, means your eggs will dry out as they are still cooking in the pan. Put them into a bowl or a plate immediately when they have finished cooking.

Poached Eggs

1. When you use old eggs, the egg whites can muddle the water as they separate into strands. Use fresh eggs to ensure the egg white stays together.
2. Adding the eggs directly into the water gives you less control over how the eggs enter into the water. Crack them in small bowls first and then very slowly and gently place them in the water instead.
3. Adding the vinegar to the pot before adding the egg means the egg won’t hold together as well as if the vinegar was added after the egg was put in. Add a little bit of vinegar to the eggs before they touch the water.
4. Seasoning the water makes the whites of the eggs break down. Don’t add salt or other seasonings to the eggs.

Boiled Eggs

1. Adding cold eggs to hot water can crack the shells when they meet the water. It is best to put them in an empty pot that is covered with cold water and slowly heat them.
2. Letting the eggs cook at a boil the entire time means your eggs will be overcooked and the yolks will turn grey. The best solution is to take the pot off the heat once the water boils. For hard-boiled let them sit in the water for 10 minutes, and 5 minutes for soft boiled.
3. Crowding too many eggs in the pot will result in uneven cooking as the eggs can’t move. Try not to put too many eggs in the same pot to ensure all the eggs are cooked evenly.
4. Peeling the eggs before they have cooled down. Often chunks of egg will be stuck to the shell. Wait until they have cooled down enough and then peel the egg shell off.

What egg tips do you have? We’d love to know so please do tell!