Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication – Leonardo da Vinci
I doubt Leonardo da Vinci was referring to a poached egg on toast when he made that statement. However, a softly poached egg – organic or from a generous friend’s backyard chooks – with a chewy piece of toasted rye bread, topped with sea salt and fragrant black pepper speaks to me of both simplicity and sophistication. Sit in a sunny, warm place, eat your eggs and read something inspirational. Your day will be better for having eaten something so beautiful, yet so lacking in fuss and artifice. You can dress them up with smoked salmon, or ham-off-the-bone, or a sprinkling of dukkah for a special occasion, but they stand very well all on their own.
There are many firmly held views about the best way to poach an egg so if you are committed to your way, go for it. Otherwise, here’s how it’s done at our place.
Serves 1
- 2 eggs
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 slices toasted rye bread
- Butter for the toast
Bring a medium sized saucepan half-filled with water to a gentle boil. Swirl the water around with a knife and then quickly break in the eggs. Turn the heat down a little and cook for four minutes. While the eggs are cooking, toast the bread and butter it generously. Using a slotted spoon, gently lift out the eggs and place onto the toast. Season with the sea salt and black pepper.
Simple food 