Fried Eggs

Fried eggs are my husband’s favorite. I think he’d be happy eating a fried egg, bacon, and buttered toast three times a day, and that sort of becomes our default dinner when I don’t have anything defrosted and we haven’t been grocery shopping in a while. So I’ve had a lot of experience cooking the perfect fried egg over the years.

Fresh eggs are best for frying your eggs because you want the white to stay nestled around the yolk and not spread out in the pan. The yolk of a fresh egg is also less likely to break than the yolk of an older egg, which makes fresh eggs ideal for frying. My husband prefers his fried egg sunny-side up: a partially cooked orange yolk centered in the middle of the cooked egg white. I like mine over easy, with the yolk cooked a bit more. Fortunately, it’s simple to fry eggs sunny-side up, over easy, and over hard right in the same skillet. No matter which you prefer, eggs should be fried slowly so they cook evenly.

28 Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook

Sunny-Side Up Eggs

1. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a skillet or frying pan over medium heat, tipping the pan once the butter has melted to cover the bottom. 2. Once the butter starts to bubble and foam, carefully crack the egg and then slide it into the skillet. The white should start to set almost immediately. 3. Continue to cook the egg for 40 to 45 seconds, then turn down the heat to mediumlow. If you want your yolk more cooked, cover the pan for 20 to 30 seconds, until the white is no longer opaque and the yolk is set but still partially runny. 4. Season with salt and pepper.

Best for: a quick breakfast or as a topping for hash or salad when you want a gloriously runny yolk

Is Butter or Oil Better?

I prefer to use butter in the pan when I fry eggs, but you can substitute extra-virgin olive oil or use both olive oil and butter. Oil will result in darker, crispy edges. And a combination of butter and oil gives the eggs a buttery, rich taste in addition to the browned edges.

Over-Easy Eggs

Over-easy eggs are a modification of the sunny-side up method for those who want the yolk more cooked. Start cooking the eggs the same way, turning the heat down after 40 to 45 seconds and continuing to cook. After 60 to 90 seconds of cooking, season the eggs with salt and pepper, gently shake the pan to loosen them, and then use a spatula to flip the eggs to cook the other side. Cook the flip side for another 20 to 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

Best for: a quick breakfast or egg sandwiches if you like a slightly runny yolk

Over-Hard Eggs

Fried over-hard eggs requires cooking the over-easy eggs for 1 minute on the flip side, yolk side down. Over-hard egg yolks are cooked through.

Best for: neater egg sandwiches when you don’t want any drippy yolk

Basic Egg-Cooking Techniques 29

Butter-Basted Eggs

Here’s an alternative way to mimic an over-easy egg, made by basting the egg with butter instead of flipping it. You’ll need to add more fat to the pan initially and cook the egg more slowly over low heat. Start with 1 tablespoon of butter—instead of the teaspoon for the overeasy egg—and heat on medium-low until the butter is melted and foamy, then add your egg. As the egg cooks, tilt the pan, scoop up some of the butter with a spoon, and pour it over the egg. Continue to baste and cook the egg for 2 to 3 minutes for a softish yolk. Baste the entire egg—yolk as well—if you like your yolk more cooked. Slide the egg out of the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook the butter for another minute or two until it browns slightly and starts to smell nutty. Be careful not to let it burn. Pour the butter over the egg and serve.

Best for: a decadent breakfast or rich, buttery egg sandwiches