1. Always use fresh eggs

1. 使用鲜鸡蛋

Shay told Good Housekeeping that using fresh eggs is very important if you want to perfectly¹ poach them. He said: 'As eggs age, the white becomes looser.

谢伊告诉《好管家》杂志说，想把荷包蛋煮的好吃，使用鲜鸡蛋非常重要。他说：“鸡蛋放置时间越久，蛋清就会越松散。”

'This means that once added to the water they will be more prone² to separating.'

“也就是说打到水里后更容易散开。”

2. Don't use too much white wine vinegar

2. 不要添加太多白葡萄酒醋

Many people add white wine vinegar when poaching eggs as they believe it holds the whites together and helps them cook faster.

很多人煮荷包蛋时会加点儿白葡萄酒醋，他们认为这能帮助蛋清粘在一起，煮的更快。

But Shay advises to only use it in small quantities as it can make the whites too firm and take the yolk³ longer to cook, resulting in an unevenly⁴ cooked egg.

但谢伊建议说，要少量添加白葡萄酒醋，因为它会使蛋清变硬，而让蛋黄更不易煮熟，导致鸡蛋生熟不一。

3. Don't crack eggs straight into the pan

3. 不要直接把鸡蛋打到锅里

Shay says it's crucial that you crack eggs into a bowl or ramekin first and then place them in the pan.

谢伊说，要先把鸡蛋打到碗盘上，然后再放到锅里，这很关键。

This helps remove some of the looser, less fresh whites that can result in your poached egg separating.

这有助于去掉一些松散、且不那么新鲜的蛋清，这样的蛋清会让你的荷包蛋散开。

4. Don't add eggs to boiling water

4. 不要在沸水中煮

Don't bring your water to an intense boil, according to Shay, as the bubbling water could break up the whites.

谢伊建议说，不要把水煮沸，不断冒泡的沸水会把蛋清搅碎。

Instead, use simmering water, which will ensure your egg is cooked more gently and that you have more control over the cooking of it.

要使用文火煮水，这能确保你的荷包蛋更温和地煮熟，你也更能掌控烹煮过程。

SCRAMBLED⁵ EGGS

摊鸡蛋

1. Don't add too much liquid

1. 不要加太多液体

If you like adding cream or milk to your eggs, Shay warns not to add too much.

如果你喜欢摊鸡蛋时添加一些奶油或者牛奶，谢伊提醒不要加太多。

'Otherwise the yolk and white will end up separating along with the liquids,' he warns.

他提醒说：“否则蛋黄和蛋清会随着这些液体而分开。”

2. Whisk eggs in a bowl first

2. 先在碗里充分搅拌

Shay says it's crucial to give eggs a good whisk in a bowl first before putting them in the pan.

谢伊说，把蛋摊在锅里之前，先在碗里充分搅拌很重要。

Make sure the eggs are an even colour before adding them to a saucepan.

在把蛋摊到锅里之前，确保鸡蛋搅拌得颜色均匀。

He said: 'You’re trapping air into the mixture which will result in light, fluffy⁶ scrambled eggs.

他说：“搅拌时会混入气体，这使得鸡蛋色泽明亮、口感松软。”

'And you should ideally use a large bowl. This will give you more room to work with and it’s easier to whisk using a circular motion that pulls the egg close to the surface.'

“你最好使用一个大碗，这能让你有更多的空间来搅拌。打圆搅拌更简便，能使蛋液距离表层更近。”

3. Take them off the heat before they've finished cooking

3. 摊好前就关火。

Scrambled eggs can become overcooked in an instant, as they keep cooking in a hot pan even after you've taken it off the heat.

摊鸡蛋瞬间就会变老，因为即使是你关了火，鸡蛋仍在热锅里加热着。

Shay advises to take your eggs off the heat just before you think they are ready and you should have the perfect scrambled eggs.

谢伊建议说，在你觉得鸡蛋摊好前，稍微提早一会儿关火，这样摊出的鸡蛋才最完美。

BOILED EGGS

水煮蛋

1. Get the cooking times right

1. 掌握好煮蛋时长

Shay recommends three minutes for soft-cooked eggs with runny yolks, four minutes for yolks with a slightly firmer but still semi-runny centre, and seven minutes for a hard-boiled egg with a firm centre.

谢伊建议说，如果想吃蛋黄很稀、口感柔软的鸡蛋，只需要3分钟。蛋黄稍硬，蛋黄中心半稀半干的鸡蛋，则需要煮4分钟。蛋黄比较硬的全熟蛋需要7分钟。

These timings are for medium eggs. If using a large egg, add on an extra minute's cooking time, and for extra-large, add on two minutes.

以上时间针对的是中等大小的鸡蛋。如果鸡蛋比较大，就再增加一分钟。超大鸡蛋要加两分钟。

2. Don't use fresh eggs for hard-boils

2. 煮全熟蛋不要用鲜鸡蛋

Fresh eggs are much harder to peel if you use them for your hard-boiled breakfast, so Shay recommends using ones that are near their use-by date.

如果早餐时把鲜鸡蛋煮成全熟，会更难剥皮。因此谢伊建议用临期鸡蛋。