Chef Tom Kerridge reveals secret to perfect poached eggs

According to Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, these are the crucial steps for perfect eggs. Photo / Getty

Poached eggs take mere minutes to cook but they're notoriously tricky to perfect.

Undercooking them could leave you with a wobbly, snotty egg white, while poaching them for too long can set the yolk and deprive you of a gloriously gooey centre.

Now two Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge has revealed the best way to cook the breakfast classic - and his method for the perfect eggs may surprise you.

Kerridge, who owns the Hand & Flowers pub in Buckinghamshire, London, revealed his top technique for poaching eggs on the BBC Good Food website.

And he says you should take eggs off the heat as soon as you add them to a pot of boiling water.

Tom Kerridge's perfect poached eggs

1. Crack eggs into separate cups and add a splash of vinegar to each - it doesn't matter whether it's white wine or malt.

2. Bring a pan of water to the boil. When boiled, give the water a stir in a smooth, circular motion.

3. Drop eggs into the water, turn the heat off, and leave for four to five minutes.

4. Gently lift them out with a slotted spoon.

If you follow Kerridge's method, he says: "The white should be just cooked and the yolk should be perfectly runny."

Kerridge's tips come in the wake of other recipes claiming to help you cook the perfect eggs, whether scrambled or fried.

Chef Anthony Bourdain revealed that anyone adding milk, cream or water to their scrambled eggs is preparing them in the wrong way.

The only extra ingredient that should be added to them is plenty of butter, and seasoning, he says.