Master of the Craft

Call it delusion, hubris, ego, whatever you will, but I have mastered the craft.

 

 That's right, I can make the perfect poached egg. When Andy Jack was here over the summer, we had a friendly competition to see who could make the best poached egg. I was a bit new to the open pot of water technique, so my early eggs were a bit mangled. What I was lacking was the right tool!

Recently, I was carving into this amazing crook from an apple tree when I realized that it was too shallow too be a ladle and too bent to be a server, so I decided that I'd give a strainer a shot. To make the holes, I drilled out the pattern and then used my little plumbers reamer to get the size. But, I didn't like the ragged look of the holes, so I used my torch to heat an old file that I ground to a taper and singed the insides, which created a lovely contrast and it was fun to boot!

So as usual, I'll let you in on my secret. First, go wrestle an egg from your chicken. My girls have defied all expectation and kept laying without heat or light. Treat your workers right!

First, boil the water to a rolling boil and then use end of the handle to swirl the water. Add a dash of vinegar (which helps the whites stay together).

Then, dump the egg or eggs in the middle of the whirlpool and use the handle again to get the whirlpool moving again.

Then, turn down the heat and cover for about 2 minutes. Then grab your trusty strainer spoon and fish em out. Take that Andy!

Besides my strainer, I've been making other applewood spoons recently for the Spoons for Hunger Project. Here is the next entry for the drawing.

It's all heart wood and I think it will make a great little stirrer and server. 

This one is $35, plus $6 shipping, all of the proceeds going to Heifer International to purchase a flock of chickens, so that my poaching method can become known around the world. For more info on the project please look at the sidebar.

Thanks to everyone who keeps entering the drawing, I appreciate your patience and wish you luck!