From The Straits Times    |

Makes 4
INGREDIENTS
4 medium eggs
10ml white wine vinegar
Salt, to taste
150g sliced ham*
4 thick slices brioche or English muffins*, toasted
Chopped chives, for the arnish
Paprika powder, to taste

* English muffins and white ham (milder and softer than regular ham) are available at Cold Storage. Brioche is available at gourmet bakeries like Paul (#03-16/17 Ngee Ann City, tel: 6836-1914) and Maison Kayser (#B1-09 Scotts Square, tel: 6636-3672).

DIRECTIONS

1 Working with one egg at a time, crack an egg into a bowl, taking care not to break the yolk.

2 Fill a deep saucepan with water. Add the vinegar and a generous pinch of salt, then bring to the boil over medium-high heat.

3 Lower the heat to low-medium so the water is just simmering with small bubbles rising from the bottom of the pan and small ripples across the surface.

4 Using a wooden spoon or whisk, stir the water in one direction to create a whirlpool (this will help give the poached eggs a neat teardrop shape).

5 Gently slide the egg from the bowl into the centre of the whirlpool. Cook for 2-3min for a runny yolk or 4min for a slightly firmer yolk.

6 Use a perforated spoon to transfer the egg to a tray lined with paper towels to remove excess water. When ready to plate, flip the corner of the paper towel to tip the egg back onto the spoon.

7 Place the ham, then the egg, on the brioche. Top with bearnaise sauce and garnish with chives and paprika power.

TIP: To tell if an egg is fresh without cracking it, shake it close to your ear – a bad egg will produce a sloshing sound.

Recipe courtesy of Claudio Sandri, chef of Spathe Public House, located at #01-01, 8 Mohamed Sultan Road, tel: 6735-1035.

This article was originally published in Simply Her August 2014.