Few things are as beautiful as a dish topped with a perfectly fried egg! A former restaurant chef breaks down how to fry an egg perfectly in every style, from sunny-side up and basted to over-easy, over-medium and over-hard.
Instructions
1
Crack the eggs into the pan
2
In a small nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Break the eggs, one at a time, into the pan. Editor's Tip: For picture-perfect eggs, crack the eggs into a small bowl before adding them to the pan. It'll be easier to fish out any broken eggshells. Also, if the yolks break, you can save them for another egg recipe.
3
Reduce the heat and continue cooking for each type of fried egg
4
Reduce heat to low, and cook the eggs slowly until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken. Editor's Tip: When the whites are completely set, swirl the eggs in the pan to ensure they release easily. If not, use a rubber spatula to gently detach them. How to make basted eggs: Spoon butter over the eggs For basted eggs, spoon butter in the pan over the eggs while cooking. Editor's Tip: Tilt the pan so the butter pools, making it easier to spoon over the eggs. You’ll know the egg is ready when the whites are fully set and the yolks are still nice and runny. How to make sunny-side up eggs: Cover the pan For eggs sunny-side up, cover the pan and cook the eggs until the yolks thicken but are not hard. These eggs are finished when the egg whites are completely set and the yolks jiggle when you shake the pan. How to make over-easy eggs: Flip and cook for about 30 seconds For over-easy eggs, carefully turn the eggs over to cook the second side. Cook the eggs, uncovered, for up to 30 seconds to get a runny egg yolk. Gently shake the pan and test the eggs' doneness. The yolk should be very jiggly, but the whites surrounding the yolk should remain firm without moving. How to make over-medium eggs: Flip and cook for about one minute For over-medium eggs, carefully turn the eggs over to cook the second side. Cook the eggs, uncovered, for one minute to get a slightly runny and thicker egg yolk. You can test the yolks by gently poking the yolk area with your finger. The eggs are finished cooking if the yolks feel firm but still jiggle when you shake the pan. How to make over-hard eggs: Flip and cook until the yolk is fully set For over-hard eggs, carefully turn the eggs over to cook the second side. Cook the eggs, uncovered, until the egg yolk has completely cooked and is no longer jiggly, about two to three minutes. The yolks should feel firm when poked with your finger.
