Jamie Oliver's 'only way' to poach eggs as he shares hack for 'super silky' results

Poached eggs are a breakfast classic, but they're not the easiest to perfect. Luckily, Jamie Oliver has shared his cooking hack for getting 'super, silky, gorgeous eggs every time'

Jamie Oliver, the UK's culinary maestro, certainly knows his way around cooking eggs to sheer perfection.

Achieving the ideal poached egg, where the white firms up and the golden yolk stays tantalisingly runny, ready to be soaked up by a slice of toasted bread, is a true breakfast triumph.

Yet, those who fancy poached eggs for their morning meal are well aware that it's trickier to prepare than its fried or boiled siblings.

While some resort to white vinegar or nifty gadgets to nail the poaching process, Jamie Oliver advocates for a remarkably straightforward approach.

In one of his YouTube tutorials, Jamie enlightened aspiring cooks on how to consistently produce "super, silky, gorgeous eggs every time" with just one key tip, reports the Express.

The kitchen wizard emphasized: "The only way to poach the perfect egg is if you have really, really fresh eggs - end of story."

When it comes to assessing the freshness of eggs from the store, he cautioned against automatically reaching for the first carton. "Don't go to the front, go to the back and get your eggs", Jamie advised.

Undoubtedly, eggs straight from the farm are superior. However, by the time farm eggs make their journey to supermarket shelves, they could be 10 days old, given farmers' window to package them post-laying.

Consequently, eggs purchased from stores might already be a few weeks into their shelf life.

To emulate Jamie's flawless poached eggs, start by boiling water in a saucepan. Then, lower the heat until the water settles into a soft simmer.

The celebrity chef emphasised the key distinction between boiling and poaching eggs, describing the latter as a "gentle" method that keeps your eggs from being "'smash[ed] all around'".

To start, Jamie suggested cracking an egg into a bowl before gently easing it into a pan of water, noting: "If you have lovely fresh eggs, you're going to win most of the time."

While some opt to swirl the water and add vinegar prior to dropping in the egg, Jamie sees it as an unnecessary step for achieving excellent results.

For perfectly soft and gooey eggs, Jamie's tip is to poach them for about three minutes, aiming for a consistency that he says should be like "fresh, springy mozzarella".

Serve the beautifully cooked egg atop a slice of toast; boost the dish's luxuriousness with a spoonful of avocado or, for those preferring something different, lay over a couple of slices of smoked salmon.