The Worst Poached Eggs

I made the worst poached eggs ever for my lunch today. Although I carefully followed Nagi’s instructions, straining my eggs before sliding them into gently simmering water and forming them between a slotted and a dessert spoon, my eggs looked nothing like hers. I didn’t end up with fat white pillows enclosing perfect soft golden yolks. My eggs swam through the water in all directions. I needed to strain them through a sieve before I could eat them.

I’ve been eating a lot of eggs recently. Each day, after fasting for hours and hours, I reach into the fridge for the box of free-range eggs to make a keto lunch. I used to sniff at the word ‘keto’. I dismissed it entirely. It wasn’t for me. How can anyone eat and enjoy such a restricted diet? Then I read Jack Thompson’s book, Keto Slacking, and I changed my mind.

I’ve been trying to convince myself that I don’t mind being a bit overweight. That extra bit of padding doesn’t bother me at all. It’s vain to even think about it. Maybe it’s natural, something a woman of my age just has to put up with. I should just accept I’m not as lean as I used to be.

But what if I’m not my perfect weight because I lack discipline? Would it be good for my soul as well as my body to get my eating habits into order?

I’ve listened to a few podcasts recently about intermittent fasting. Apparently, there are many health benefits to refraining from eating for a while. The podcast guests say we’re rediscovering something people from years ago were aware of. They mention fasting as an ancient practice associated with many religions.

I know all about fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. But could it shift my extra weight if I did it daily instead of only twice a year? Perhaps it could also make me spiritually strong.

So, I read Keto Slacking, which was written for people like me who are too slack to stick to a keto diet. I only need to eat one keto meal a day. I can eat normally the rest of the time if I halve my carbs. And then there are the hours of fasting.

A typical eating day:

Fast for at least 14 hours.
Eat a keto meal.
Eat nothing for 3 hours.
Eat normally, but half the carbs.

How am I going? Well, the fasting has been surprisingly easy. But I’m battling with my keto lunch. I just can’t seem to cook poached eggs.

Yesterday, I ordered a set of silicone poached egg moulds. When they arrive, I will spray them with a bit of oil, add my eggs, and then pop them in a pan of simmering water, the air fryer, or the microwave.

I forgot to mention my microwave poached egg experiment. The other day, I added an egg to a glass of water and microwaved it for a few seconds. This method of poaching eggs wasn’t entirely successful. My eggs looked rather strange.

You’d think poached eggs would be easy to cook. Nagi has no trouble making them. But me? I haven’t yet found the perfect, foolproof method. Have you?

Image

This photo of a box of beautiful eggs was taken by Kelly Neil, Unsplash.

So…

How do you poach your eggs? Have you tried the keto diet? And what about fasting? Is it something you regularly do?