Oh Won't You Show Me the Way

I often make poached eggs but I don't always get them just right.  Same with hash browns. At this point finally I know what you're supposed to do but then sometimes I just do it the opposite.  Seems a little koo koo.  The logic is that somehow a step is not needed or if you did it my way, it would still come out fabulous but possibly save some time.  I still experiment all the time unable to accept that real chef's teach us the way.  Most likely there are not 20 ways to poach an egg.  However, I did discover that you could crack an egg right on cooked potatoes or vegetables, cover it and roughly 5 minutes later it's all poached looking and taste awesome.  So, there's that.