I love poached eggs but have never been able to manage them myself. At home we had an egg poacher-- separate little tins that cooked over a shallow pan of boiling water-- but they were probably aluminum and anyway, it vanished when we split up the family house's effects. Then there's the microwave poacher that should be failproof; but even if you prick the yolks I find they explode, and even if you butter the poacher the resulting egg is exceeding dry. But the cook at work was talking about these fabulous eggs benedict he'd made on the weekend, and I moaned about not being able to poach eggs, and he told me how to do it. The usual white vinegar in 3/4 full small saucepan, whisk water into a whirlpool, drop egg, let simmer, et voila. Have done so.
It still involves some trial and error, as in
a) males may be able to whisk with one hand and break eggs with the other, but I can't. The result was many fancy Chinese goldfish eggs and/or much white froth boiling over the edge of the pan. I need a shallow glass dish to slide the egg in; also to stop whisking while I do it. Also room temperature eggs.
b) The egg sinks at first. Hence one needs a no-stick pan.
c) You can only do one at a time. Others can, and must, manage several, but not I. (Nor the cook, either.)
But oh poached eggs are wonderful. They plump up where fried eggs flatten and boiled eggs go dense. There Can Be Only One is probably fortunate, or I'd eat more than I should.
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