how long do you cook a poached egg
1 Make sure the water is at a bare simmer. 2  Cook for 4 minutes: The final cooking time for a poached egg is very much up to you, and it depends on how well you like your eggs done and how hot the water is. 3  But 4 minutes, give or take, in lightly simmering water, will give you a firm white and a gooey but still runny yolk. But 4 minutes, give or take, in lightly simmering water, will give you a firm white and a gooey but still runny yolk. 2  Remove the egg: Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg from the water. 3  Pat the egg dry: This is optional as well, but I like to pat the egg dry lightly with a paper towel.