Read This Before Making Poached Eggs In The Microwave
Poaching eggs can be a tricky skill to master, but what you might not know is that it can also be dangerous if done in the microwave. According to The Daily Mirror, a mother of two named Áine Lynch recently tried doing just that after seeing the technique demonstrated on the British talk show "Loose Women." The hack involves dropping an egg into a mug filled part-way with cold water and nuking it on high for 50-60 seconds. However, instead of a quick and tasty breakfast, Lynch was met with an exploding egg that sprayed the mug of boiling water at her face and chest, resulting in burns bad enough to send her to the emergency room.
Once at the hospital, Lynch recalled: "The nurses covered me in burns pads and blankets because my body was shivering with the cold caused by shock. All that kept going though my head was thank god I didn't have one of the kids in my arms, especially my youngest [12 weeks old] as I'm usually holding her." And all for an egg. After five hours, Lynch was finally able to go home, though she still is not sure whether she'll be left with permanent scarring on her face. But she's sharing her story to ensure others don't meet the same fate.
How to safely poach an egg in the microwave
If the threat of splatter burns from boiling water is not enough to deter you from trying to microwave-poach eggs yourself, there are some safety precautions that you should definitely take before trying this technique out.
According to Slow Food Fast, there is a way to reliably poach eggs in the microwave without them exploding. First, use a heat-proof soup bowl instead of a mug to assist with even-heating. Secondly, start by microwaving the water alone until it's near-boiling (about one-and-a-half minutes) before dropping in your strained egg. Don't put the bowl straight back in the microwave. Instead, let the egg sit in the hot water until the whites start to go opaque, then microwave it covered for about a minute. Next, carefully flip the egg over with a soup spoon and microwave for an additional 10-15 seconds, or until it is cooked to your preference. Then you can remove the egg with a spoon or tip the bowl out into a strainer. Just be sure to use pot holders to avoid burning your hands!
Alternatively, you could try pricking the yolk with a knife to prevent the egg from exploding unexpectedly or, perhaps most safely of all, just learn to poach an egg on the stove (via What's Cooking America).