Recipe - Easy Poached Egg with Italian Spice Mix, Smoked Cheese and Avocado #vegetarian #glutenfree

Easy Poached Egg with Italian Spice Mix, Smoked Cheese and Avocado

So I just made this for my brunch (I forgot to have breakfast, so pushed the boat out to take in breakfast and lunch :)). I cannot poach an egg to save my life, but this method produces a wonderful facsimile with added extras. This recipe is only for 1, but it would be really easy to knock up a bunch of these in advance and pop them all in the water at the same time.

Cooking times are for a soft yolk - if you like yours firmer just up the cooking time.

The base recipe is vegetarian and gluten free.

Serves 1
Prep Time 2-4 mins Cooking Time 5-6 mins

Equipment

• 1 ramekin or small bowl
• cling film (plastic wrap)
• bag sealing clip, or bulldog clip, or string for sealing the cling film
• small mixing bowl
• fork
• saucepan
• kitchen towel

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 2/3 slice of smoked cheese (approx 15g)
• 1/4 medium avocado
• Dried Italian herb and spice mix to taste (any or all of oregano, thyme, basil, garlic, chilli, rosemary, salt, dried onion - I have an Italian mix grinder which is perfect)
• oil to prevent the egg sticking (you could use butter if you are feeling decadent :))

To Serve

• toast/bun/salad/asparagus - just pick your favourite way of having poached eggs

Instructions

1. 2/3rds fill your saucepan with water and set on the hob to boil.
2. Separate the egg white into a bowl and set aside the yolk whole in half the shell (or pop it into a bowl if you don't mind the extra washing up :)).
3. Cut the smoked cheese into small pieces (like thin grated cheese - you want it small enough to melt easily).
4. Chop the avocado into small pieces (approx 4mm square)
5. Mix the Italian herb and spice mix, the cheese and the avocado into the egg white using the fork.
6. Take a sheet of cling film and use it to line the inside of the ramekin/small bowl, leaving the edges over the sides.
7. Spray the inside of the cling film with oil (or brush it with oil if you don't have a spray).
8. Pour half the egg white mixture into the lined ramekin.
9. Carefully tip the whole egg yolk into middle.
10. Pour the other half of the egg white mixture over the top of the yolk.
11. Gather up the sides of the cling film and twist so the egg is held tightly, then seal with the clip or string.
12. Turn down the boiling water to a brisk simmer and add the egg.
13. Cook for 2.5 to 3 mins then use a fork in the loose tail of cling film to flip the package upside down and keep it there while it cooks for another 2.5 to 3 mins. (If I didn't do this, the top did not cook properly - when the time is up you can unwrap your egg carefully to check it is cooked to your liking, and if it's under done for you, re-wrap it and pop it back in).
14. Take out the egg, dry on kitchen towel and unwrap it, before popping it on your toast/bun/salad, or however you like to eat your poached eggs.

In case my descriptions are confusing, here's the basic technique of poaching a plain egg in cling film thanks to Tesco Food on Youtube: