Poached Eggs

Ingredients

• eggs
• 3 parts water
• salt
• vinegar
• butter
• hot water
• lemon juice or vinegar
• a dash tabasco
• bread
• grated cheese

Instructions

1. Fill a deep skillet three parts full with water and bring to a bubbling boil. Salt the water lightly and dash it well with vinegar. Break each egg separately into a cup or small dish before cooking. Slip the eggs into the boiling water one after the other quickly, taking care not to break the yolks. Keep the water at a hard boil and use a knife or spoon to prevent the whites from cooking together. Cook for six to seven minutes. Remove with a skimmer, drain well, and trim any ragged bits from the whites.
2. For serving: Lay the poached eggs in a deep hot dish and pour over melted butter made from butter, hot water, salt, pepper, lemon juice or vinegar, and a dash of tabasco. Serve covered—a poached egg chilled has lost its charm.
3. Alternatively, serve the eggs on squares of hot, well-buttered toast that have been sprinkled thickly with grated cheese and set inside a hot oven for a minute. Pass the melted butter sauce separately, as pouring it over might be too rich for some palates.