Maple Syrup Poached Eggs Make For A Perfect Sweet And Savory Breakfast

Maple makes everything taste more marvelous. From sweetening coffee to glazing meat, it's clear that we're no strangers to using maple syrup in unconventional ways. Yet, we might shock the masses by claiming that the liquid gold is actually best put to use for poaching eggs. Unusual as it may sound, our Canadian comrades to the north have been mixing the two ingredients for a long time. Riffing on the Québécoise classic known as oeufs dans le sirop d'érable, poaching eggs in maple syrup creates the ultimate dish for fans of sweet and savory flavor combinations.

Although you could fry or even scramble eggs in the sweet sap, the benefit of poaching is twofold. Firstly, a perfectly poached egg with a still-runny center is both visually stunning and technically impressive. However, this method can err on the bland side since the eggs are cooked in water. This brings us to our second point. Poaching in a liquid like maple syrup means that there's an opportunity to delicately infuse flavor into an otherwise plain-tasting egg white. Imparting traces of vanilla, toffee, and toasted nuts, maple syrup gives the eggs a world of depth.

What's more, poaching eggs in maple syrup harmoniously balances different flavor components as the mellow sweetness of the maple wonderfully complements the buttery, yet earthy tasting yolks. Sure to intrigue taste buds, there's nothing left to say except that maple-poached eggs are a must-try.

Poaching eggs in maple syrup is really no different than poaching eggs in water. After adding a generous glug of syrup into a saucepan, let the liquid come to a bubble and boil, before reducing it to a simmer. Then, follow the same protocol you would with regular poaching. Crack the eggs into the syrup, cooking for a few minutes until the egg whites have set. Easy-peasy? Well, sort of.

Straightforward as it all sounds, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. For instance, given that thicker and sweeter syrup reaches a higher temperature than water, keep an eye on the time so as not to overcook the eggs and rob yolks of their runniness. Additionally, due to a difference in density, eggs may float in the syrup. As a result, be prepared to baste them in order to promote even cooking. Lastly, in the interest of wasting as little of the coveted syrup as possible, use a small saucepan and refrain from using your fanciest sap.

Although there's no proper way to enjoy maple-poached eggs, we recommend topping them with some leftover syrup before serving them with buttered toast and hash browns, or on top of a pancake stack. Otherwise, make maple-poached eggs the star of eggs Benedict. You could also pair them with a salty breakfast staple like bacon — whether you opt for thick-cut, peameal, or maple-cinnamon candied bacon is your prerogative!