"I'm going to show you how to make the most perfect poached egg," Michelin Chef Paul Foster said on his TikTok channel. "I know it's a nemesis for a lot of people." Turning on the hob, the chef places a saucepan of salted water under the flames, insisting: "Do not add vinegar... you do not need it."

Chef Paul then places a sieve over a bowl and cracks a fresh egg into the sieve, adding that the egg should be as "fresh" as possible and at room temperature. Once the saucepan of water is boiling, "turn it down to just under the boil and give it a stir". Chef Paul insisted: "You don't need to whisk it and create a vortex; the stir helps it to move, so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan."

He then gently slides the egg from inside the sieve into the saucepan and sets a two-minute timer.

"It's not going to be long enough [the timer], but I always like to check it before."

Looking at his poached egg, the chef points out how the water isn't boiling.

"Now I was shown – when I was a young chef – to use vinegar, but I've learned a better way; this is the better way."

Using a slotted spoon, he checks on the egg structure and decides it could do with "another 30 seconds".

One of the things you must not do is be tempted to turn the heat up to start boiling the poached egg.

Once the egg is cooked, drain it on some kitchen paper and "never put it straight on toast".

Chef Paul explained that if you put the poached egg straight onto toast from the saucepan of water, "you'll make the toast soggy".

Now you can season the poached egg with sea salt and cracked black pepper – "and that's all you need".

Once the poached egg has drained off, now it's time to enjoy the poached egg on toast, with scrambled egg and bacon – or whatever you like.

Slicing the poached egg open, Paul said: "You can see it's cooked through; it's a perfect poached egg.

"You don't need a microwave, you don't need one of those stupid egg poachers; you just need a pan with some water, with no vinegar in, and a little bit of salt."