There's a whole mystique about making POACHED EGGS that I've never understood. It's just like making sunnies: You crack the eggs in a bowl, heat the pan, slide them in-- only there's water in the pan instead of butter. The way I make them, they're simple-- no swirling shit around. No vinegar. No little cups to break the eggs in. You do have to pay attention to the heat, though. You don't want the water to boil rapidly, but you don't want the water to stop boiling, either, so you have to make adjustments to the heat while the eggs are cooking. And you do need a slotted spoon to get them out. That's the only special tool. They are so easy and really delicious. Poached eggs have all the runny, eggy goodness of a sunny without the distraction of the butter flavor. As I get older, I'm less and less prone toward gilding something that is already perfect. There's nothing better than a poached egg on a piece of crunchy buttered toast or English muffin. Nothing.
Kenny Shopsin, p. 47 from his Eat Me, The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin