During which cooking method are eggs not flipped?

Poaching eggs is a cooking method where eggs are gently cooked in simmering water without the shell, which allows them to cook evenly from all sides without needing to be flipped. The goal of poaching is to maintain the tender texture of the eggs while ensuring that the whites are fully set and the yolks remain runny. This method requires careful timing and temperature control to achieve the desired outcome.

In contrast, sunny-side up eggs are cooked on one side only until the whites are set while the yolks remain runny, and they remain unflipped. Basted eggs involve cooking them on one side and periodically spooning hot fat (like oil or butter) over the yolk, which helps to cook the top without flipping. Over medium eggs are flipped to cook both sides, leading to firmer yolks compared to sunny-side up. Therefore, poaching is distinctly characterized by not requiring any flipping during the cooking process.