Zach loves eggs. I don’t, though, so I didn’t know how to cook them for YEARS. I can make them over easy (though we always call them “soft fried,” but don’t get into the habit of doing that because no one will ever know what you’re talking about :P), but it was all I knew how to do. So making Zach eggs for breakfast did not come easily. (“You want scrambled eggs for your birthday breakfast? Yeah, you’re on your own, dude.”) I definitely could have used Lydia’s help during the first two or three years of my marriage. 😛

Since her post was kind of long and involved two different aspects of frying eggs, I split it into two parts. (Also, I was having trouble filling out the whole month, so this worked out well. :P) Today she’s going to discuss how to just fry an egg. On Friday, she’ll be back to explain how to scramble eggs. Which I’ve come to discover is a whole different ballgame. Enjoy! 🙂

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Sunny side up? Over easy? Yolks hard or runny? Whites set or a little runny? Which is your favorite way to eat a fried egg? I prefer mine sunny side up, while Rick likes his over medium. Today we’re going to show you how we fry our eggs.

It can be a little daunting to fry an egg if you’ve never done it before. The white tends to spread all over the place and it can be difficult to get the whites to set without overcooking the yolk. Here’s how to fry an egg our way:

• For sunny side up, use a generous amount of olive oil. You want to see it swirl when you tip the pan, but you don’t need to “deep fry” the egg. Too much oil causes splatters. After a few times you’ll get a feel for just how much oil you need.
• Heat the oil until it’s shimmering but not smoking. This plus the smaller pan will help contain the egg white.
• Break the egg into the pan and as soon as the white sets on the bottom, begin to spoon the hot oil over the egg to help cook the top. The extra oil will crisp the edges of the egg; you’ll have to adjust the heat to avoid burning them.
• Tip the pan slightly to allow the oil to pool so you can spoon it over the egg.
• When the white is opaque and the yolk is cooked to your liking the egg is done.
• Over easy eggs don’t require as much oil. After the whites on the bottom are set, slip the spatula underneath and flip the egg over and finish cooking the whites. Allow the yolk to cook a little longer for eggs over medium.
• Serve a sunny side up egg yolk up. Serve over easy eggs with the best side up.

The following video should help clarify the instructions.

Could you fry an egg in butter or cooking spray? Absolutely! It’s a great way to reduce calories especially if you use a non-stick pan. You’ll want to manage the heat while the egg is cooking so it doesn’t cook too quickly and stick to the pan. If you can, you want to avoid breaking the yolk, but if it happens it’s not a tragedy. The egg may be ugly, but it’s still edible. If a shell falls into the pan, pick it out as quickly as possible. Besides the obvious breakfast with some toast, a fried egg is awesome over a hash of white or sweet potatoes. If you have leftover spaghetti, reheat it with a little Parmesan cheese and place the fried egg on top. The yolk will run down into the spaghetti and coat the noodles. In the same way, you could top a bed of spinach or other greens with an egg.

How do you like your eggs?

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