Cauliflower Soup with Poached Egg

A perfect poached egg has a runny yolk, with a firm crust and no raw white remaining. The cooking time is approx. 150 seconds if the egg is at room temperature (20ºC). The fresh egg is cracked into a bowl and gently slid into a pan of simmering water. To prevent dispersion of the white of the egg, add a small amount of vinegar to the boiling water. Stirring the water energetically to create a whirlpool can reduce dispersion.

Ingredients Serve 4

40 ml of olive oil

125 g butter

2 tsp crushed garlic

400 g onion finely chopped

1 tsp crushed ginger

1 k cauliflower cut into florets

600 ml dry white wine

500 ml water

200 ml vegetable stock

300 ml fresh cream

1 tsp salt

½ tsp white pepper

4 fresh eggs

1 tbls apple cider vinegar

1 tsp salt

Method

Place oil, butter, onion, garlic and ginger in a large saucepan and cook on a medium heat until onions are soft and translucent. Add cauliflower florets, white wine, water, salt, pepper and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil covered. Allow to simmer on a low heat for approx. 15 min until the cauliflower is soft and tender. Puree the soup either with a stick blender or in a normal blender. Return the soup to the saucepan, pour in cream and reheat.

For poached eggs, bring a saucepan half filled with water to a gentle simmer. Add apple cider vinegar and salt to the water. Gently add a cracked egg to the centre of the boiling water and poach for approx. 3 min. Remove egg with a slotted spoon and transfer to a heated plate until required.

Note: White wine vinegar can also be used.