It may sound unlikely, but the key to the perfect poached egg involves a microwave and no kettle, according to one chef and food blogger. While eggs on toast is a breakfast staple, popular for its simplicity and tastiness, those rushing off to catch a train or jump in the car to work could become frustrated by having to wait up to five minutes for their egg to poach. Enter Chef Smarty Pants, also known as Erica Wides, a New York-based chef and content creator, who has revealed the speedy cooking method she uses every morning for a near-instant poached egg that doesn't compromise on flavour.

Instead of the conventional method of cracking an egg into a pot of boiling water and letting it simmer for between three and five minutes, she first finds a small non-plastic bowl or ramekin, roughly half the size of the cracked egg. She then pours a small amount of water over the egg, just enough to ensure it is submerged - to mitigate the risk of an "egg-splosion".

"Every microwave is different," she told her followers on TikTok. "On mine, [it takes] 44 seconds on high. This has been a lot of trial and error over the years.

"My old microwave [was] 36 seconds. You have to play around - I figure anywhere between around 35 to 50 seconds, it also depends on how you like your egg.

"I like mine perfect, because I'm a chef and it has to be perfect, which means a firm white and a runny yolk."

The result - she declares - is indeed a "perfect" looking poached egg, in under a minute with minimum effort or washing up.

While foodies famously vary in how they like their eggs in the morning, most can agree that a firm white and a runny yolk are the hallmarks of a well-cooked poached egg.

Ms Wide's demonstration of digging into her poached egg shows that her speedy and easy trick managed to achieve just that, with the result enough to make any viewer feel peckish.

Other TikTok users also chimed in to share their tips on making the perfect microwave poached egg. One said: "I tried this. Here's an important caveat: it's important to use something small that won't let the egg spread out."

Another repeated her warning to be careful about the cooking time. "Don't put two eggs into the glass and cook for one-and-a-half minutes unless you want a very messy microwave!" they said.

But others praised Chef Smarty Pants for her no-fuss approach to making breakfast. "Normally I would be mad about an egg being cooked in the microwave but I'm not," one said, while another added: "I always prefer poached eggs, no butter [or] oils and this is a great idea, thank you."