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68 Comments
allisonking
November 13, 2018
Perfect to me means fully set whites with soft edges, and a runny/creamy yolk. Heat olive oil on medium, add egg and let sit just until the edges start to set, then add just enough water to protect the edges from crisping. Cover til whites are fully set.
Leo L.
August 5, 2015
Turn off the heat means a whole lot more if cooking with gas or electricity. Turning of gas means your cooking with holdover heat of the pan your using. Turning off electricity and your are dealing with holdover heat of the burner and the pan with entirely different results. The comments don't speak to the cooking method gas or electricity.
Mona T.
July 29, 2015
The best fried egg/omelette I've had was on a street side breakfast stand in Luang Prabang, Laos. Scramble 3 orange-yolked eggs with salt and pepper, in 1T shimmering peanut oil in a wok, med-high heat, fry sliced shallots and scallions (white and green parts) briefly, and pour the eggs. When the bottom is golden and shallots/scallions caramelize (1 min max), flip it over and fry 1 min. Served with steamed sticky rice and papaya/mango/watermelon smoothie, it was heavenly breakfast.
lisina
July 29, 2015
The Jose Andres fried egg is a revelation. Especially atop a spicy plate of chilaquiles at Oyamel.
Ryan P.
March 26, 2015
heat pan, drop in some Fromager d'Affinois, crack egg over the top. guaranteed best egg you've ever eaten.
Sally Z.
March 25, 2015
hot cast iron pan, knob of butter that browns immediately. crack egg or two into middle of pan. Sprinkle lightly with montreal seasoning. let cook until edges are set and brown. Flip for just a cursory warming, then lift onto plate. yields crispy bottom, runny yolk. be sure to have some good toasted whole grain toast to sop it up.
Tony
January 27, 2015
Over easy in either olive oil or butter, and seasoned with a sprinkle of Balsamic Vinegar
Ashley M.
March 8, 2014
My perfect fried egg does NOT have a runny yolk! I prefer the "animal" version of the press-down method, cooked to a CREAMY yolk.
James R.
February 26, 2014
I like to fry the egg in a little butter. When set well, I add a teaspoon or so of water , cover the pan and steam until the top is set. Perfect egg everytime!
ctcbox
February 26, 2014
Most mornings I use the press-down method with herb infused olive oil, usually garlic oil. In general I never (rarely) use plain oil. It's so easy to make flavored oils and they are soooo tasty, why not...
You could really do your readers a favor and do an article about hot and cold infused oils. You could addeess matching the herb with the oil, herbaceous vs woody stemmed, hot vs cold, infusion time, etc. i'll bet it would be a big hit. AND you would be doing a great service to society by helping people get away from the same old bland and tasetless...
I enjoyed your egg article. Thank you.
You could really do your readers a favor and do an article about hot and cold infused oils. You could addeess matching the herb with the oil, herbaceous vs woody stemmed, hot vs cold, infusion time, etc. i'll bet it would be a big hit. AND you would be doing a great service to society by helping people get away from the same old bland and tasetless...
I enjoyed your egg article. Thank you.
Paula E.
May 8, 2014
I agree with that, ctcbox. I would love to know about cooking eggs with herbaceous oils.
Gregg E.
November 4, 2013
I like my eggs fully cooked but without any of that nasty burning around the edges. Heat the skillet, put in a little butter or olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Crack in two eggs, break the whites and yolks. When the bottom is firm enough, flip then turn down to warm or simmer and cover for a couple of minutes - however long it takes to just fully cook the eggs.
Manuel B.
November 4, 2013
My version: Separate yolk from white. Cook the white in butter until set. Turn over. Add the yolk on top and serve after a minute. You get crispy and fully cooked whites with a runny yolk. Bon apetit!
Tessa G.
November 3, 2013
I like my eggs cooked so that the whites are completely solid, & the yolks are like pudding. I crack the egg & let the white drain into the bowl while keeping the yolk inside the shell. Then I use a spoon to remove the "umbilical cord" from the yolk (yuck!), & gently slide the yolk into the bowl with the white. The pan I use to make fried eggs doesn't need oil or anything to keep the eggs from sticking. I heat the pan over the lowest flame I can get. When a drop of water sizzles, I slide the egg onto the skillet (Since I have separated the white & the yolk, I've popped the sack that normally forms in the white, around the yolk. This helps to get all of the white cooked. If i crack the egg directly onto the skillet, I take a knife & cut around the yolk, breaking this sack, otherwise, the white tends to stay runny along the edge of the yolk.). I salt & pepper the egg, then use a glass domed lid to cover the egg, & let it cook slowly, until the white is almost entirely solid, then carefully turn it over with a spatula, & place the lid over it again. I take it out of the skillet when the yolk feels sponge-like when you poke it with your finger.
mike
November 3, 2013
How long do you take for breakfast? 2 hours...you're worried about the 'umbilical cord of the egg? please...think about what you eat..well don't because you might like it.
TJ B.
November 3, 2013
I am happy to hear that I'm not the only one in the world who removes the yolk's "umbilical cord" (or chalazae). I don't know why, but it freaks me out.
Tessa G.
November 4, 2013
I'll totally admit that I'm weird when it comes to eggs. It only takes about ten minutes, at most, for me to cook them the way I like them. When it comes to food, I believe that you should make it how YOU like it. Otherwise, why bother?? When I cook, it doesn't matter how long it takes to achieve the results that I want (I once stirred a pot of polenta for four hours!). What matters is whether or not it tastes good to me. I never said that my way of cooking eggs was the best or only way of cooking eggs. I simply described how I make fried eggs. Time is not a factor when I cook... results are.
Tessa G.
November 4, 2013
I've had people tell me that the eggs have the chalazae, as you put it, when they are not fresh. I've had people tell me that they have it when they are too fresh. I've had eggs straight from the chicken's butt, & they still had it. Around 95% of the eggs I've cracked have had it. All brands, brown, white, speckled... it doesn't matter. I remove it because I am personally grossed out by it. I find it in my eggs when I order them out. I find it in cakes. I find it in anything that has been made with whole eggs. It's a little white cord that never mixes in or breaks up. I'm also glad to hear that someone else removes it & finds it icky!
ruth
November 3, 2013
Best fried egg with yellow yolk and no crisp edges: oil in moderately hot pan. Crack egg(s) into pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. As soon as the egg(s) start to sizzle cover the pan, turn off the heat and let them finish cooking while you make your toast. To me these are perfect.
Mary
November 3, 2013
The very best way I have found to fry an egg is to melt butter in the pan, when it is hot evenly coat bottom of pan. Add egg and cook on medium to high heat until the whites are about 80% done. Take 1/8 cup water, pour in the pan, cover, reduce heat and the steam generated cover/cooks the yolk tops. Ready to serve! Perfectly done whites, gently covered but soft yolks. A real breakfast treat!!
Stephanie W.
November 1, 2013
i trie ao damn hard to cook the whites thru w/ out over cooking the yolk & i fail all the time. what am i doing wrong?? seems like the only way to have runny yolks is to half cook the whites! ughhh. sucks cause i love eggs! i like what im reading here but the instrucions seem complicated. help.
martinlaw
November 1, 2013
Stephanie, not to worry. It's not rocket science. A little butter or margarine in, preferably, a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once the whites start to turn opaque, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the pan (I like to put it into the lid and dribble it around the outside of the egg. Put the lid on, and when the yolk starts to 'cloud over', the whites will be done and the yolks still runny. Cook them as little or as much as you want. Hope that works for you.
Ashley M.
March 8, 2014
Wish I had your problem! My difficulty is getting the yolk firm enough without over cooking the white!
Barbara H.
June 3, 2013
I love my whites as crispy as I can get them, with a totally liquid yolk, so when I have the time and energy to devote to this, I separate my eggs, and cook the whites alone over fairly high heat until they're as crispy as I have the patience for. Then I add the yolks and swirl the pan to quickly warm them, and plate. Crispy whites in a yolk sauce - yummers!
Doug E.
May 19, 2013
For me the best method is fried in a non stick pan in fresh bacon fat from quality cured middle bacon. Crack the egg into the pan with a reasonable heat as I like a slightly crispy edged white to compliment a luxuriously runny yoke. Let egg settle then baste with the bacon fat and 'brown bits' until the yoke has 'whited' over. Serve immediately ideally with a bacon fat fried slice, black pudding and the bacon that gave off the glorious fat. Salt and Pepper to taste. Yum!
Bruce M.
May 16, 2013
Hi Christina, This is a cousin to martinlaw's recipe. As a kid, I spent years in post-war Japan. My folks were busy doing what they did and my brother and I were left in the hands of our cook (and chief domestic tyrant) named appropriately "Cooksan". As kids we really enjoyed what she did with eggs. Take one slice white bread, cut out a generous hole big enough to accommodate a yolk and fry it in butter to crisp on one side, medium high heat. Flip the bread and immediately slide an egg, yolk in the hole. The white should ooze over the bread. Fry a minute or two and flip for over- easy. This was called a "Flag" because you had a Rising Sun on a square white background. Frying it in butter gave a good crustiness. My 24 year-old son still likes this.
Christina @.
May 16, 2013
That is so cute! My post was shared on a FB for ex-pats from the UK and people were commenting on how they used to eat "egg in the hole" too! I think a lot of people don't put any effort into making food "fun" for kids. Your "Cooksan" obviously made an impression on you and your brother, which you've obviously passed on to your son. I love stories like this-thanks for sharing, Bruce :)
Bruce M.
May 11, 2013
With all due respect to the myriad of fine, mouth-watering approaches to friying, I think this one is incomparable:
(1) slowly fry a pound of high-quality bacon in a Griswold
(2) remove bacon when done, as per taste,
(3) with bacon fat medium hot, slide the eggs in
(4) as the bottoms gently fry, baste the topsides with the hot oil with a tablespoon, until done to taste. No salt required.
Bung on to toast, serve with ketchup, bacon and coffee. I learned this method from the mother of an old school buddy from Ottawa whose roots were Norwegian.
(1) slowly fry a pound of high-quality bacon in a Griswold
(2) remove bacon when done, as per taste,
(3) with bacon fat medium hot, slide the eggs in
(4) as the bottoms gently fry, baste the topsides with the hot oil with a tablespoon, until done to taste. No salt required.
Bung on to toast, serve with ketchup, bacon and coffee. I learned this method from the mother of an old school buddy from Ottawa whose roots were Norwegian.
Christina @.
May 11, 2013
Bruce, that's SO British! You'll love my photo-exactly what you described (sans ketchup) :) http://christinascucina.blogspot.com/2013/05/fried-bread-very-naughty-breakfastbut.html
martinlaw
March 28, 2013
I see no one has mentioned the one-eyed jack, a go-to breakfast treat that's easy to cook and a delight to eat. Take a slice of bread (I prefer regular, run-of-the-mill white bread but any will do, I suppose) and tear out the center about the size of a half dollar. Remember those? Spread patches of butter on one side, and a couple of tablespoons in the pan. I find a non-stick is easiest to work with, but to each his own. Crack the egg into the pan and once it starts to set, place the slice of bread, buttered side up, on top of the egg so the yolk is visible in the hole you tore. As soon as you can slide your spatula under the egg without disturbing the yolk, flip and brown to taste, swirling it around in the butter to make sure it gets soaked up by the bread. Flip back over on the plate and sit back and wait for your kids (or you) to ask for more! Our kids are long gone, but I still make these for the wife and I. Egg and toast all in one!
Stephanie W.
November 3, 2013
my mom called them eggs in a frame. wow. i thought she invented it. haha.
Meadow L.
March 18, 2013
late to the party as always.
Cast iron skillet. No oil of any kind. S&P, 1 splash of water in skillet lid and cover til over medium.
This way I can pretend that I'm being virtuous, as no oil/butter added. ;)
Cast iron skillet. No oil of any kind. S&P, 1 splash of water in skillet lid and cover til over medium.
This way I can pretend that I'm being virtuous, as no oil/butter added. ;)
John E.
February 19, 2013
I like to fry and scramble eggs in duck fat. Tasty and half the cholesterol of butter.
Arnie K.
September 30, 2012
Two eggs at room temperature, cracked into a bowl (no broken yokes). Nonstick pan, slightly buttered, on medium heat. Pour eggs in center of pan and leave them untouched until all egg whites are opaque. Gently shake pan to make sure that all of underside is released, and flip eggs by tossing sharply and catching gently. Slide directly onto plate. If done correctly, no spatula is left in the utensil drawer.
Linda B.
September 30, 2012
I always cook my fried eggs on a griddle, medium heat with butter. Low to medium heat so there are no crispy edges at all. That is the way my husband likes his eggs. Salt and peppered. Peppered on the top after the flip. And always crack your egg in a bowl first then slide onto your cooking surface. Helps to keep them in a more round shape. I go to an egg farm about every three weeks and buy eggs fresh. What a difference this makes. I also buy doubled yolk eggs when I go. They are perfect for frying. These eggs are anomalies and they happen when a chicken is new to laying or they had a scare that prevented them from laying their daily egg. We consider ourselves egg people and would eat them everyday. The perfect food.
MaggiMae
September 30, 2012
Maggie says:
I like to use an 8" cast iron frying pan, heated over med heat. when hot, add a tsp or so of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Crack my organic egg directly into the pan and cover to let cook for three minutes or so. The yolk is soft and runny and the white is set with some crispy outside edges..Perfect! Serve with a side of toast? !
I like to use an 8" cast iron frying pan, heated over med heat. when hot, add a tsp or so of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Crack my organic egg directly into the pan and cover to let cook for three minutes or so. The yolk is soft and runny and the white is set with some crispy outside edges..Perfect! Serve with a side of toast? !
LoisonMaui
September 30, 2012
gpaera....what is great about Food52 is that they DO devote quality time and energy to writing articles like this. I'm always amazed, entertained, and educated by visiting their site. They are a testament to how websites should be designed and managed.
gpaera
September 30, 2012
After breaking about a bazillion yolks flipping the eggs to get the over-easy part, I came up with the cover the pan for 60 seconds approach. I use quite high heat because I love the crisp brown edges.
However, i must say that I can conceive of no other food blog that would devote as much time and energy to the cooking of a fried egg. Booya!
However, i must say that I can conceive of no other food blog that would devote as much time and energy to the cooking of a fried egg. Booya!
LoisonMaui
September 30, 2012
After reading the various methods of cooking eggs, I'm going to try Amanda's. The cooking in a wok has the potential of preparing that PERFECT egg...Mahalo Amanda.
LoisonMaui
September 30, 2012
After reading the various methods of cooking eggs, I'm going to try Amanda's. The wok idea is fascinating and intriguing. It has a great chance of cooking a perfect egg. Thanks Amanda.
Foodelf
September 26, 2012
This is strangely fascinating ... over the past short while, maybe 8-12 months, I thought I'd lost my fried egg mojo. None of my efforts satisfied and I concluded that after a life-time of fried eggs I'd lost my touch; I just didn't enjoy them anymore, or at least those made by me. Now I have a whole new fried egg multiple choice to try and I'm going to do it.
MsMora
September 26, 2012
Oh yes, fried eggs in bacon grease! A cursed thought for many, but it always brings back memories from home. My mother always bought slab bacon from which she cut thick slices and cooked them in the large, cast iron frying pan. Not everyone likes a crispy edge, but I certainly do. Keeping a close eye on the edge so it doesn't get too rubbery, it makes for a lovely texture contrast with the soft and creamy yolk. On those rare occasions when my mother was feeling indulgent, she would take a piece of coarse grain brown bread and fry it in the bacon grease until crispy and have it on the side.
QueenSashy
September 26, 2012
My personal choice was always the soft and delicate method, using sunflower oil for daily consumption, and duck fat for special occasions. When the rest of my family is away, which really happens once a year max, on a very first night I am home alone, I will buy fresh baguette, make 3 sunny side up in duck fat, sit on sofa with a tray and zone out.
Hunnybunch
September 26, 2012
Best to fry bacon in non-stick pan, pour off fat, fry the egg over low flame. Now, take a buttered slice of toast, now layer pieces of avocado on toast, lay bacon across the avocado. Lay the egg on top, puncture yolk with fork to allow the yolk to sink onto avocado and toast. Salt & pepper and then sink your teeth into nirvana!
Gourmando
September 25, 2012
Some of these methods call for heating a nonstick pan over high or very high heat. I thought that unhealthy fumes could arise from heating a nonstick pan on higher than medium heat.
Greenstuff
September 25, 2012
Thanks to the Canal House folks for reminding me of a real keeper--Vinegar Eggs and Beaujolais, as made by wine importer Kermit Lynch and his family.
First, pour yourself a glass of Beaujolais. Fry the eggs really slowly in butter, covered, until the whites are slightly firm. Salt, pepper, and slide the eggs onto a warm dish. Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar, about 1 tablespoon per egg. Thicken with a pat of butter, then pour sauce over the eggs. Serve with bread or toast and another glass of Beaujolais.
First, pour yourself a glass of Beaujolais. Fry the eggs really slowly in butter, covered, until the whites are slightly firm. Salt, pepper, and slide the eggs onto a warm dish. Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar, about 1 tablespoon per egg. Thicken with a pat of butter, then pour sauce over the eggs. Serve with bread or toast and another glass of Beaujolais.
China M.
September 25, 2012
I love eggs over easy, partly because I think it ensures that the whites are thoroughly cooked while the yolk remains runny, but mostly because I love flipping the egg. It's one of those culinary school skills that are more fun than necessary, but it still feels magical every time the egg (or two) neatly flips over without breaking the yolk.
Pegeen
September 25, 2012
This slide show by Chef Jose Andres S at ICC in Manhattan is very interesting. I guess you could call it a "froached" egg = fried + poached.
Pegeen
September 25, 2012
Somehow I left out the link - sorry! Here it is:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/09/12/dining/20120912-SPANISH.html
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/09/12/dining/20120912-SPANISH.html
Christina @.
September 25, 2012
As part of a Scottish or British "Fry-Up" it must be cooked in bacon grease, but no crispy edges for me thanks! :)
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