Kitchen Venture #6: Poached Egg and Cold Soba part 4

The reason I did not include this in part 3 is because this version needs some cooking and preparation too. Also, there is a new kitchen venture going on here too! Needs to be acknowledged eh?

No prizes also for guessing what is the new kitchen venture. It is poaching eggs! Friends kept telling me their poached eggs turned up lousy and they took ages to make them. After watching Julie & Julia the movie that day, I gathered enough courage to give it a go for dinner that night. All I needed was one egg really. AND I DID IT!!! Succeeded on my first try. I so earned the right to brag. =P

How I did it:

1. Boil water in the pot. Fill to about 3/4 level.

2. Crack an egg into a cup. Get ready a spoon by the pot!

3. Once the water is boiling, lower the cup carefully and slowly near the water surface. Slowly tip the egg into the water, let it slide in. Yes it may burn you so be careful or wear something like a glove. Lower the stove heat.

4. Once in, grab the spoon and keep covering the egg yolk with the swirling egg white. FAST and repeat the covering of the egg yolk just to make sure.

5. Based on judgement, you can watch the egg simmer and boil for however long depending on how you like your yolk runny or cooked through. I like mine runny, I let it boil for about 3-5 minutes before switching the stove off.

6. Grab a skimming ladle sieve and slowly spoon the egg up without the water. Put it over a bowl or cup while you go prepare your noodles or whatever. This should be your last step!

Photo credits: mayydiaries.blogspot.com
Eggs aside, you need bacon and ham for this version of the cold soba. The cooking of this ham and bacon can be done beforehand, on that day or days before. So here's really a tip for student or busy people. Like when your ham or bacon is about to expire, chop them up and fry them in olive oil or butter. Let it cool and store them in the fridge. When needed, microwave or heat them up in the frying pan again.

Preparation:

1. Twirl noodles onto the centre of the plate. How? Use chopsticks or fork. Grab amount you want with them and lower it onto whereever you want on the plate. Slowly spin the plate around while you keep the noodles in place. Once you feel it looks good and the noodles are tight enough, slowly and carefully remove chopsticks or fork.

2. Arrange the bacon and ham pieces around the noodles. Pat the top of noodles flat for egg. Make a slight indent.

3. Now carefully lower the egg onto the top of the noodles. (mine slide off, sad.) So I think you need a dent on top, sort of like a volcano shape.

4. Salt and pepper to season. I don't use salt because I feel the bacon and ham are salty enough. You can also add a drop of ketchup on top of the poached egg. Cute.

I want to know how YOUR poached egg experience turned out. I have yet to try it again but I will once winter sets in. It is too hot here now!

Till my next kitchen venture, Mayy xo