Chef-tested recipe
Steam whole eggs at 62°C for 50 minutes, then finish with a short poach. A practical guide with chef notes, serving ideas and egg-safety guidance.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 4 poached eggs; serves 2 with 2 eggs each, or 4 with 1 egg each
- Prep Time
- Approximately 5 minutes
- Total Time
- Approximately 56–60 minutes, excluding oven preheating and allowing extra time if finishing in batches
- Course
- Breakfast, brunch or a topping for a main dish
- Difficulty
- Moderate; requires accurate low-temperature steam control
- Best Served With
- Serve on toasted sourdough with sautéed mushrooms, over steamed asparagus, or as part of eggs Benedict with Classic Hollandaise Sauce. Roasted potatoes and wilted spinach make simple accompaniments.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Ingredient and equipment links marked “paid link” may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Equipment
- Steam or combi oven that can maintain 62°C in steam mode paid link
- Perforated oven tray, saucepan and kitchen timer paid link
- Small bowl, slotted spoon and food-safe absorbent paper paid link
- Independent thermometer suitable for checking the cooking environment paid link
- Equipment matters: 62°C is the oven setting, not a confirmed temperature at the centre of the egg. Use the oven’s low-temperature steam programme, with full steam or 100% humidity where supported. A stovetop steamer over boiling water does not reproduce this method. paid link
Ingredients
- 4 fresh, refrigerated hen’s eggs, approximately 55–60 g each in the shell; choose commercially pasteurised shell eggs for a runny-yolk preparation
- Approximately 2,000 ml water for poaching, adjusted to the pan so the eggs can be submerged
- Fine salt, to taste, for serving paid link
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste, optional
- Egg safety: This recipe aims for a soft yolk. The 62°C oven setting and 50-minute timer alone are not proof of pasteurisation. The FDA recommends treated or pasteurised eggs for preparations served raw or undercooked. For people at higher risk of foodborne illness, serve eggs with both the white and yolk fully cooked.
Preparation Overview
Have the serving plates and accompaniments ready before the steam cycle ends. The recipe below takes the eggs straight from steaming to poaching and serving; it does not include a chilling stage.
Method
Preheat the steam oven. Set the oven to 62°C in steam mode. Allow it to stabilise. Use clean, uncracked eggs of a similar size and keep them refrigerated until loading.
Steam for 50 minutes. Arrange the whole eggs in one layer on a perforated tray with space between them. Load the oven and start the 50-minute cooking time when the chamber has returned to the set temperature. Keep the door closed during cooking.
Prepare the poaching water. Towards the end of steaming, heat the water in a saucepan until it is just below a gentle simmer. Keep the surface calm; a rolling boil can damage the delicate whites.
Crack and separate gently. Remove the eggs carefully. Open each shell over a small bowl, keeping the yolk intact. Use a slotted spoon to lift the softly set egg away from the loose, watery white. Handle one egg at a time.
Finish the poach. Lower the egg gently into the hot water. Begin checking after about 1 minute and continue as needed until the outside white is opaque and holds together when lifted. This finishing time is a guide, not a fixed result: egg size, starting temperature and oven performance affect it. Test one egg before finishing the rest.
Drain and serve. Lift with the slotted spoon and briefly rest it on food-safe absorbent paper to remove surface water. Season and transfer to the prepared plate. Serve immediately.
Beginner Technique Notes
- Keep the eggs consistent. Use the same size and starting temperature for each batch. Record the result from your own oven before scaling up.
- Check the finish. Cut open a test egg to assess the yolk and the inner white. If the white is too loose for your preference, extend the final poach in short intervals.
- Leave space in the pan. Finish in small batches so the water stays hot and the eggs do not knock against one another.
- Drain before plating. Water carried onto toast or into hollandaise will spoil the finish.
- For banquet production. Confirm the result with the intended tray load. Do not assume that a fuller oven or a different model will give exactly the same result.
Substitutions and Variations
- Different egg sizes: smaller, extra-large or duck eggs need their own timing checks; the stated steam time is a starting point for the hen’s eggs specified above.
- No steam oven: use a separately tested stovetop poached-egg recipe. A dry oven set to 62°C is not an equivalent substitute.
- Seasoning: add chopped chives or a little chilli after cooking. Keep the poaching water plain for a clean flavour.
Storage
For this version, prepare only what you will serve immediately. Keep uncooked eggs refrigerated and follow their label instructions. If preparing ahead for restaurant service, use your kitchen’s validated chilling, refrigerated storage and reheating procedure; the short finishing poach described here is for eggs taken straight from the steam oven, not chilled eggs.
Allergen Notes
Contains egg. The plain egg recipe uses no milk or gluten-containing ingredients. Toast, sauces and other accompaniments may introduce additional allergens; check their ingredients separately.
Technique and References
The 62°C steam setting and 50-minute duration are Sixto Carreon’s supplied method. The suggested final-poach check is editorial guidance and should be confirmed on your equipment. J. Kenji López-Alt’s guide to sous-vide eggs describes a related low-temperature water-bath method followed by a brief poach; it does not validate this exact steam-oven schedule. Food-handling guidance is linked above.
Always Cook with Heart. Always!
