Julia Child's Tip For Perfect Poached Eggs

Julia Child was an undeniable icon and Paris-trained American chef who penned a staggering 16 cookbooks and was featured on 13 cooking shows. Even in the years since her death in 2004, Child has remained a force in the world of food, with a new cookbook hitting shelves in April of this year that examined the largest influences in her life. It's no surprise, as the woman who was quoted saying "a party without a cake is just a meeting" was fascinating and multi-faceted with a life full of surprising facts.

Child was an accomplished chef with expertise in the art of French cooking, which is notorious for requiring complex and precise maneuvers in the kitchen. But if you're just getting your hands dirty when it comes to cooking and want to look to Child for inspiration on a non-intimidating task, give her tip for the perfect poached eggs a shot.

There are many methods to make poached eggs out there (like poaching them in wine or olive oil), but according to The Kitchn, Julia's Child technique is both simple and achieves impeccable results. On top of water, a slotted spoon, and eggs, you'll just need two common household items: a pin and a timer.

First, bring a pot of water to boil. Next, you'll take the pin and make a tiny hole into the eggshells, which will be large enough to release any trapped air but small enough to prevent any leakage. This will prevent cracks from happening during the poaching process.

Next, you'll want to use the timer to boil the still-shelled egg for 10 seconds, using a slotted spoon. This will help the egg retain a poach-perfect shape, and once that's done you can lower the water to a simmer, and then proceed in cracking the eggs to poach as usual.