Fried Eggs
Instructions:
Correctly cooked, fried eggs are neither tough nor rubbery, but nearly as delicate as poached, with tender
whites and a barely cooked yolk. Low heat is the easiest
way to achieve this, but with practice you’ll be able to use
higher heat and get the same results. If you use the
smaller amount of fat here, you’ll sacrifice some flavor
and will have to take more care to keep the eggs from
sticking unless you use a nonstick pan.
Butter is the most luxurious medium for frying eggs.
But extra virgin olive oil is also delicious (try frying eggs
in it, perhaps with a few sage leaves, finishing with a grating of Parmesan), and dark sesame oil is interesting, especially if you’re frying an egg to put on top of Jook or Congee .
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon butter or oil
2 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
MAKES: 1 to 2 serving
TIME: 10 minutes
- Put a medium skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the butter or oil and swirl it around the pan. When the butter’s foam subsides or the oil is hot, about a minute later, crack the eggs into the skillet. As soon as the whites lose their translucence- this takes only a minute- turn the heat to low and sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper.
- Cook until the whites are completely firm; the last place this happens is just around the yolk. If the egg has set up high, rather than spread out thin, there are two techniques to encourage it to finish cooking: You can cut through the uncooked parts with a knife, allowing some of the still-liquid white to fall through to the surface of the pan. Or cover the skillet and cook for a minute or two longer. When the eggs are cooked, remove them from the pan and eat immediately.
-
Eggs in the Nest or Eggs in the Hole.
- You need a little more butter here: Use a biscuit cutter or drinking glass to cut a big hole out of the middle of a slice of bread for each egg. After the butter melts in Step 1, put the bread slices and the circles in the pan and crack the eggs into the holes (you might put a little pat of butter in the holes before adding the egg). When the eggs start to firm up, carefully flip the bread slices and the circles over and cook the other side for a few more seconds, then serve.