Poached eggs are utterly delicious - but achieving that perfectly runny yolk requires some expertise.

It's frustrating when you cannot replicate what professionals produce, but television cookery icon Mary Berry has revealed her foolproof method for creating the "perfect oval" poached egg every single time.

The delicate nature of eggs makes preparing them correctly without incident rather tricky, but Mary Berry has published the technique on her website, guaranteeing picture-perfect outcomes without fail.

She acknowledges that while they require careful attention during cooking, these eggs are "worthwhile".

The culinary expert believes it's all down to the preparation. Using boiling water and vinegar, Mary heats a pan with sufficient water for poaching the eggs.

Once the water's bubbling vigorously, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and add a "dash of vinegar".

The subsequent step, Mary explained, involves "crack each egg into a ramekin or cup, swirl the water with a spoon and then carefully drop into the pan. Leave until the white is just beginning to set and carefully turn with a slotted spoon to form an oval shape."

She then advised simmering them for three to four minutes, or "until the white is set" with the yolk remaining runny in the centre.

Her caution: "Keep an eye on the heat: if the water starts to bubble again, turn it down to stop it disrupting the egg's shape. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift out and drain on kitchen paper."

For beginner egg poachers, she offered a comforting tip: "Don't panic when first tipping an egg into the poaching water.

The egg white will naturally spread out, but it comes together as it cooks, and you can tidy the edges at the end when the cooked egg is draining on kitchen paper."

Mary's hollandaise sauce recipe is outlined below.

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks

1 tsp white wine vinegar, plus extra for poaching the eggs

100g (4oz) unsalted butter, melted

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Using a hand whisk, combine the yolks and vinegar together until blended. Mary emphasised that a hand whisk provides superior control over the consistency, cautioning: "You don't want it to be whipped and become too thick to pour."

Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and gradually pour in the melted butter while whisking constantly until the sauce becomes thick and glossy. Season with salt and pepper to taste before removing from the heat.

The bowl can be covered with cling film and left to one side while you prepare the eggs. Mary noted that advance preparation is possible, observing: "The hollandaise sauce can be made up to an hour ahead and kept warm in a wide-necked vacuum flask."