Vegan Poached “Eggs”Makes 4
The Yolk:
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon stock powder (I use Massel Chicken-Style Stock Powder)
1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (I use Lotus Savoury Yeast Flakes)
1 teaspoon prepared mild english mustard
1 tablespoon vegan margarine or butter
The White:
300g (10.5 oz) packet silken firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons arrowroot flour (starch)
1 teaspoon agar agar powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Making the Yolk…
Blend together all the yolk ingredients (except the margarine) until smooth & heat gently in a saucepan, whisking in the margarine as the mixture thickens & starts to simmer. [Edit: You can also blend the yolk ingredients together until the mixture is free of lumps & zap it in the microwave at 15-20 second intervals, whisking each time, until it has thickened & started to bubble.] Remove from the heat & pour into a bowl, placing some clingfilm on the surface so a skin won’t form. Put it in the fridge or freezer to cool down – it must be totally cooled before you can assemble your eggs.
Making the White…
Blend together all ingredients with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth & creamy.
Assembling the Eggs…
You might like to spray or brush your egg poacher with a little oil, although it’s not really necessary if using silicone poaching pods. Spoon a generous tablespoonful of the tofu mixture (egg white) into each pod & make a well in the centre with the back of a teaspoon, spreading the mixture a little up the sides of the pod. Make sure the tofu mixture isn’t too thin on the bottom though – you don’t want the yolk breaking through.
Spoon between 1-2 teaspoons of the yolk mixture (about the equivalent of a regular egg yolk) into the well you’ve made, making sure it doesn’t seep to the edges of the pod – you want to make sure the yolk is totally encased within the tofu. Gently spoon a little more of the tofu mixture over the top of the yolk, smoothing the top of the egg.
Poaching the Eggs…
In a pan, bring some water to a gentle simmer while you’re assembling the eggs. Gently lower your filled poaching pods into the pan (the water level should be about 2.5cm/1” once the pods are in) & place a lid over it to help the eggs cook evenly. Adjust the heat if necessary & simmer gently for about 10 minutes (this gives you plenty of time to toast your toast, make a cup of tea, etc). The texture should be firm, but still tender & springy (not rubbery!), much like a regular poached egg. If a little water has formed on the top due to the steam, pour it off carefully, then flip your egg onto your plate. When you break the white open, lovely yellow yolky sauce will ooze out all over your toast – yum!
