Bring water with salt and vinegar to the boil.

Meanwhile, add a drop of vinegar into each small cup or ramekin and crack 1 egg at the time in each.

When the water is boiling reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

Use a spoon to swirl the water and gently drop the egg in the centre of the ‘whirlpool.’ The swirl will carry the egg white around the yolk.

Cook the egg for 3 to 5 minutes to obtain a soft poached egg. Cooking time depends on the egg size.

Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place on a towel to dry if you are using it immediately or drop it in iced water to stop the cooking process and use later.

Trim the thin egg white from around the poached egg to make a ‘perfect’ sphere.