Since it’s possible to cook scrambed egg in a microwave, it made me wonder if you could poach an egg in the microwave as well.
After a little bit of research, I found a recipe that said to microwave the water until it’s boiling, then add the egg, prick the yolk, cover, and put back in for 35 seconds
I filled a microwave-safe jug with enough water to float an egg, then microwaved for a minute and half on full power till it hit a boil. Before adding the egg each time, I stirred the water until it looked like a whirlpool (this keeps the white together in the absence of vinegar).
For all my attempts below, I pricked the yolk with a kebab stick (didn’t have a toothpick).
Microwave poached egg: Attempt 1
For my first attempt at poaching an egg in the microwave, I followed the recipe timings exactly.
I cracked my egg into a jug containing a hot whirlpool, then placed it in the microwave on full power for 35 seconds.
The result?
You could visibly see the part of the yolk where I’d pricked it with my kebab stick. (Twice as I wasn’t sure the first attempt had pierced the yolk.)
The white had separated. While the majority was still around the yolk, but I did have to fish some out of the water. The yolk was soft, the exterior was cooked, and only the very centre was still runny.
Microwave poached egg: Attempt 2
Given that the exterior of the yolk was cooked through in attempt one, it would make sense that slightly less time in the microwave would result in less set yolk. A thinner cooked-through wall would mean more runny yolk, which is the whole point of a poached egg.
For this attempt, I decided on 25 seconds. While 10 seconds doesn’t seem like a long time in the grand scheme of things, in a microwave, it’ll make quite a difference.
This egg held its shape better than the 1st one. Maybe my whirlpool was stronger, I don’t know.
After 25 seconds, I took it out and placed it onto some kitchen roll so it wouldn’t cook further waiting in the water.
How was this one? The whites were still a tad runny, but this was to my tastes. The yolk didn’t have the thick cooked walls as it did with 35 seconds; the wall was thin and the yolk inside flowed out upon being sliced in half. I predict 10 seconds sitting in the hot water, but not being actively cooked, would be the finishing touch to cook all the whites.
Microwave poached egg: Attempt 3
The third attempt: 30 seconds in the microwave (the middleman of attempt one and two).
The whites didn’t coagulate in the water this time, despite the egg being cracked into a boiling whirlpool. The whites whisped away. Despite this, once I’d removed the egg from the water, let it sit on a kitchen towel, placed it onto my toast, and broke the yolk, I was impressed. The yolk flooded out across my toast.
The whites, like how they were in attempt two, remained a touch runny. But as I said, this is a matter of preference and I was more than happy with the finish of this egg.
The timings: Summary
If you want your whites completely cooked, you’ll need to microwave your egg for the recommended 35 seconds on full power. Remove the egg from the water immediately so it doesn’t continue to cook – the yolk would be set if it remained cooking for any longer.
If you’re happy with slightly-runny egg whites, then 25-30 seconds in the microwave will do the job.
Remember: eggs vary in size. Smaller eggs, aim for the lower end of the timing bracket. Larger eggs, go for the longer time. And never ever add salt to the water: your egg whites will become one with the water and all that’ll be left for you to eat is yolk. If you like to add salt to your eggs, then opt for a microwaved fried egg instead.
Adding vinegar to the water helps to bind the whites and can speed up cooking time.
