Poached eggs may seem intimidating to make at home - better to order out as part of Eggs Benedict or something similar - but they are actually quite simple if you follow this method. Not only does it take away the worry of the egg breaking, and the fuss of moving the water and watching the progress too closely, but it allows you to poach the eggs with the herbs already inside, creating a very pretty effect.
To begin, tear off squares of plastic wrap, and place them in a small bowl. Break one egg into each plastic lined bowl, and add salt, pepper, and chopped herbs - you can use whatever combination you like, but chopped tarragon, dill, and chives would all be delicious, as is a touch of finely diced red chiles for a kick.
Twist up the four corners of the plastic, until the eggs and their seasonings are each in individual pouches.
Bring a pot of water that will accommodate your eggs side by side, and just cover them, almost to a simmer. Lower the heat so that the water doesn't bubble at all, and then drop in the eggs in their pouches - taking care to make sure that the water stays hot, but never reaches a full simmer or boil. Poach about 3-5 minutes for a softer poach, and 6-8 for a firmer one (cooking time will vary depending on the size of the eggs and how many are in the pot - 3 minutes would be sufficient for 2 softer eggs, but you may need up to 8 for 4 firmer ones).
Remove the eggs from the plastic and serve as desired - we added smoked salmon, boiled asparagus, and buttered English muffins to the dish. The garnish was simply melted butter with lemon juice and more chopped herbs.
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