Julia Child's Genius Trick for Making Perfect Poached Eggs Every Time

Even the most experienced cooks struggle with poaching eggs. When done right, the simple preparation is elegant and impressive—but when done wrong, you end up with egg drop soup instead of breakfast. There are many tips for getting poached eggs right on the first try. If you're looking for a method that's as easy as it is effective, Julia Child's approach is hard to beat.

Child made a career out of bringing gourmet cuisine to people's home kitchens through her cookbooks and television programs. The egg-poaching tip she demonstrates in the clip below is a great example of her accessible cooking style.

On an episode of Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, she shows chef Jacques Pepin how to firm up an egg in preparation for poaching it. First, she pokes a hole in the egg with a pin so the air inside can escape without cracking the shell. For her next step, she boils the whole egg in its shell for about 10 seconds. This trick helps the egg whites hold their round shape when it's time to crack them into the hot water. Unlike some other egg-poaching hacks, this method requires no additional ingredients, and it adds just seconds to your total cook time.

Eggs were a big part of Child's history. She got her big TV break making an omelet while being interviewed on Boston’s local WGBH station. Here are more facts about the culinary icon.