Sous Vide Eggs

• Sous vide eggs are poached in their own shells, in the same type of water bath that is used for other foods. Sous vide units cause the water to circulate during the cooking time, and you must turn down the flow switches before adding the eggs to the bath, to reduce the movement. If the water circulates too vigorously, the proteins in the whites may separate. When the target temperature is reached, set the eggs into the bath gently so the shells won't crack.

Cooking Times

• The cooking times for sous vide eggs will vary depending on the temperature you want them to reach. If you like the whites set and yolk still runny, plan for about one minute of cooking time per gram of egg. Most large chicken and duck eggs will be completed in about one hour. If you are cooking quail eggs, the time is reduced to around 20 to 30 minutes. The proteins in the eggs will begin to denature, which adversely affects the texture and taste, after two hours in the water bath.

Serving Sous Vide Eggs

• If you plan to eat your sous vide eggs right away, crack each one gently over a paper towel so any liquid will be caught. Then, ease the egg onto a plate, or onto an English muffin half if you're serving eggs Benedict. If you aren't serving the eggs until later, set the uncracked eggs into an ice bath when they come out of the sous vide water to stop the cooking process. Refrigerate the eggs for up to two days, and reheat them by placing them into the sous vide water at 140 degrees F for just one minute.

Safe Temperatures

• Even though instructions for cooking eggs will often include serving them at various temperatures, depending on the done-ness desired for a particular recipe, the FoodSafety.gov website advises cooking all egg dishes to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Cooking them sous vide is less challenging than most methods because you set the temperature of the finished food before you begin cooking. According to FoodSafety.gov, a firm yolk and egg white are indications of a safely cooked egg.