Tips For Making the Perfect Fried Egg

There are few things that are more appealing and tasty in this world than a perfectly fried egg. Fried eggs complete most recipes and are easy to make, if you follow the right procedure. 

They are versatile, and they can easily go with any breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Also, eggs take very little time to make depending on what recipe. You can make eggs with rice, spaghetti, vegetables, bread, meat, etc. 

Eggs are also used in baking, skin treatments, shells are a great source of calcium, etc. However, it’s important you understand how to make a perfect one in case you have visitors. Read the tips below in the article to learn how to make a perfect fried egg. 

Pick the Right Pan

Not all pans can make a fried egg. I would advise that you get a cast iron skillet. This is ideal for cooking almost everything. For eggs, however, you need a nonstick one. 

If you can set aside a nonstick pan just for eggs, then that is better. Since nonstick pans are known to have a short lifespan, purchasing one cheaply is not a bad idea at all. Depending on the number of people you cook for, you can opt for either a small or big pan.

If you don’t have a nonstick pan, a carbon steel or cast iron can work but ensure you increase the amount of fat so that you don’t have to scrape burnt eggs off the bottom of your pan. 

Choose the Right Fat

Butter is the ideal classic choice for cooking eggs. Butter tastes good and adds that milky aroma to your eggs. However, if you are not a butter person, there are other options. 

For instance, you can choose olive oil, vegetable oil, or bacon fat. Olive oil will equally add flavor to your eggs and give them that appealing golden crunchy edges. Vegetable oil will also work fine, but it is not preferred.

Bacon fat is a great combination with eggs. Is there a more iconic duo other than eggs and bacon? First cook bacon and the fat that remains in the pan, crag your eggs and fry them. 

Cook the Eggs Your Way

Different people like their eggs differently. Some like runny yolks while others want it firm. The sunny-side-up style and over-easy route are ideal for runny yolks, while the egg whites are set. 

Difference is sunny-side-up style cooks the egg on one side while the easy-route cooks both sides of the eggs. Eggs over-medium require longer time to cook to have the yolk semi cooked.

Over-hard eggs on the other hand require much longer time to cook and have the yolk completely cooked. It’s up to you to choose how you want to cook your eggs. There are no rules really. 

The ingredients you will need are a large egg, Kosher salt, 1 tablespoon of butter or any fat that you have, and pepper.

Procedure

Put your small nonstick pan on medium heat, melt butter or heat oil, then crack the egg into the pan and cover with a tight lid for about 3 minutes or check if white is set. Remove from fire and pan to the plate. 

Season with salt and ground pepper. Repeat the procedure adjusting the cooking time or flipping the egg for different styles.

Conclusion

Cooking a fried egg should be very easy. Depending on how you or the people you are cooking for want it, it should take you approximately 5 minutes. Some people want runny yolks hence will cook for a shorter time. For those that want a firm yolk, then the cooking time is longer.