605058 Thu Mar 19 11:32:56 -0700 2009 87 31 Home Cooking 0 4519610 Okay, so my favorite egg prep is sunny side up. A barely-cooked white (not hard, but with no plegm) and a bright, runny yolk are all I'm asking for. But getting the top of the white done without overcooking the bottom and/or the yolk has always evaded me. And as far as a proper sunny-side-up egg in a restaurant? You're more likely to get a winning lottery ticket. For years I have compromised. The easiest thing to do is just give the egg a flip and let the top cook for a few seconds. Delicious, but that's over easy, not sunny side up. Steamed eggs are another good option: just put a lid on the pan with a little water and everything comes out great. Basted eggs work about the same, but require flipping fat over the top of the egg. Boiling, poaching, no problem. But none of these cooking methods give the bright, proud yolk I want to see on my breakfast plate. In the wake of St. Patrick's Day and the attendant corned beef hash, I decided that it was time to master this process. So for the last couple of days, I've been cooking three batches of eggs a day. (No, not breakfast, lunch, and dinner - my kids' schools start at different times, so I can do one batch for each of them and another for me.) Scoured the internet for suggestions, and started trying all of them. Anyway, this morning I finally nailed it. The secret is oil. Lots and lots of oil. For years I have been cooking eggs with the minimum amount of oil needed to keep them from adhering to the pan. With a Teflon skillet, that means just a spritz of the stuff in the spray can. I was thinking of the oil as an anti-stick substance rather than a cooking medium. This morning it occurred to me that oil transfers heat much more efficiently than air. So I poured a fairly deep puddle of bacon fat into the skillet, put it on a low burner until it hit 250F, and dropped in the eggs. The oil came up over the top of the whites, but the yolks stood high and dry. A minute or two later, voila! Perfect sunny-side-up eggs. Of course, quite a bit of oil needed to be drained off before the eggs were served, but that's why God put slots in spatulas, right? And after the oil cooled, it got strained right back into its container - no waste! Now the only question is how many extra minutes on the elliptical trainer are needed to compensate for the added fat calories. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Or breakfast. Thu Mar 19 11:32:56 -0700 2009 58743 alanbarnes 1 4519650 I think the most important thing is a hot pan you at least want some sizle when your eggs hit the pan.... dc Thu Mar 19 11:44:21 -0700 2009 4519610 73130 don515 2 4542823 No!! NO SIZZLE!! Honestly, that starts 'frizzling' the whites immediately, and that's NOT what , well, not what I'M looking for. I want my whites soft and tender. I leave my pan with oil on med-low heat for about 2 minutes, then add the egg...(which I've first cracked into a saucer). The whites should just start turning white right after you add it. Just leave it, it will kind of 'poach' in the fat. YUM!! (I do sometimes 'baste' the tops with the fat to get them done quicker. OR, rinse a tight-fitting lid under water, shake it off and put it over the eggs. If you do that, be careful the fat doesn't over heat. Thu Mar 26 23:36:03 -0700 2009 4519650 191827 FibroLady 3 4938921 Agreed. I use cast iron for cooking my eggs, and thus need a fair amount of oil for my over-easy (from the sounds of it, I use less than you, but I still like a substantial amount). Sizzle is the enemy of eggs - a nice medium temperature skillet is perfect, heated just to the point that the whites begin to turn white when they hit the pan. This also prevents sticking to the cast iron. Wed Aug 12 03:45:22 -0700 2009 4542823 75881 vorpal 4 4939791 I disagree completely - a hot pan and plenty of sizzle is a must to get that delicious crispy brown edge without overcooking the eggs. Yet I will defend to the death your right to prefer them your way. ;-) Wed Aug 12 09:19:56 -0700 2009 4938921 14386 BobB 5 4942210 Funny, I am kind of in the middle of the road on this issue. I love mine crispy and I also love a good sunny-side up egg, and I also love poached eggs. I find alanbarnes sunny-side up discovery very intriguing. I have a very distinct memory of my first sunny-side up egg when I was about 4 years old, it was heavenly ... but I haven't ever had one made right since. Wed Aug 12 23:14:38 -0700 2009 4939791 1081227 DishDelish 5 4942231 Are you using cast iron, non-stick, or something else entirely? My (albeit limited) experience with cast iron (we're no longer using non-stick) has suggested that cooking at a high temperature causes the eggs to stick and become a real chore to flip, even with a fairly generous coating of oil or butter. I have to agree with others who say that eggs fried at a high temperature resemble plastic. I don't much care for the texture at all. To each his or her own, though! Wed Aug 12 23:44:59 -0700 2009 4939791 75881 vorpal 6 4942335 I've never had the egg stick on a cast-iron pan. What kind of cast-iron pan are you using? Thu Aug 13 03:13:30 -0700 2009 4942231 1081227 DishDelish 7 4944255 Just a cheap 12" cast iron pan bought at my local hardware store that I seasoned myself with bacon grease. Does the trick beautifully! I was dreading it as I always had problems flipping fried eggs without breaking the yolks in the past (I hate cooked yolks - I'm pretty picky about my eggs). The first couple of times I made them, I worked at a higher temperature and they did stick a bit and the whites and yolks tore in the process. On medium heat, though, it's been fine. Perhaps it's just me - I have no idea. Thu Aug 13 13:42:27 -0700 2009 4942335 75881 vorpal 6 4942872 High-quality non-stick, with the butter heated 'til it's just starting to brown but not burnt. Thu Aug 13 07:53:57 -0700 2009 4942231 14386 BobB 1 4519792 right on! I have wondered about all the banter about what is the best "nonstick" pan to buy for a while now. Give the pan enuf grease and any pan can be nonstick! I like to get my oil a bit hotter tho-- nothing like a thin brown and crispy edge around a properly cooked sunnyside up!!!. Thu Mar 19 12:29:09 -0700 2009 4519610 154386 JRCann 1 4520011 Deep-fried egg - ummmmm . . . Thu Mar 19 13:29:48 -0700 2009 4519610 155034 alwayscooking 1 4520087 You can also "baste" the eggs with oil and this promotes more even cooking. This is what I do but I don't think it saves much on the calories. Thu Mar 19 13:47:15 -0700 2009 4519610 10195 KTinNYC 1 4520189 If you are a 150 pound woman (I think not, alan) it will take you about 3.75 minutes on an elliptical to burn 35 calories. 1 teaspoon of oil (olive or canola) contains 40 calories. Of course it depends on speed and effort, but I bet somewhere between 3-5 minutes would cover you, per teaspoon of oil actually left on the egg. 1 teaspoon of butter is a little better, 33 calories per teaspoon. Thu Mar 19 14:15:19 -0700 2009 4519610 42470 blue room 1 4520235 I always do over easy but a lid placed on the pan with the heat turned low will firm up the whites without over cooking the yolk. I have to agree the oil will work very well. My wife is the one that wants a fried egg every morning but she would have a big problem mentally with the use of that much oil. She hates fat and goes nuts when I drizzle evoo on vegetables or other items that benefit greatly from some flavorful fat. Come to think of it some saffron infused evoo would be wonderful over a fried egg. Thu Mar 19 14:30:14 -0700 2009 4519610 89493 scubadoo97 2 4520258 Maybe if you tell her that a number of vitamins in veggies are only soluble in fat -- and would thus 'go through her' without any benefit, she'll relax a bit about the lipophobia '-D Thu Mar 19 14:41:20 -0700 2009 4520235 116513 linguafood 2 4520283 I think our wives must be twins separated at birth. Is "oleophobic" a word? Fried chicken finally gained acceptance in our house (certainly not favored, but not banned) when I showed her that the amount of fat in the pan after frying was actually greater than the amount of fat beforehand. So long as the temperature is properly controlled, the chicken absorbs no fat at all, and actually renders out some of what it started with. So now we know the next data point that needs to be established: how much oil actually accompanies the egg to the plate. It should be straightforward enough; just weigh the bacon fat container before and after cooking. My guess is that it's a quarter to half a teaspoon; results to follow. But not tomorrow - the leftover corned beef is gone, and the immediate future looks like oatmeal. Thu Mar 19 14:49:05 -0700 2009 4520235 58743 alanbarnes 3 4520531 alan, you ever try cracking an egg directly into a deep fryer? And then scooping it out quickly to serve ... Thu Mar 19 16:12:09 -0700 2009 4520283 11583 ipsedixit 4 4520580 Julia Child calls for deep fried eggs in her recipe for Chicken Marengo. Never tried it, but the idea intrigues me. Just one more reason for my dream kitchen to include a Frialator. Thu Mar 19 16:28:47 -0700 2009 4520531 58743 alanbarnes 5 4521417 I used to deep fry eggs at my family's restaurant ... in the same deep fryer we used for egg rolls, sweet & sour shrimp and pork ... the good ol' days. Thu Mar 19 23:02:19 -0700 2009 4520580 11583 ipsedixit 6 4522917 There is nothing better than an egg deep friend in shrimp grease! When my parents fried shrimp for us, they always cooked eggs when they were done to go with our meal. Fri Mar 20 11:44:06 -0700 2009 4521417 78897 alliedawn_98 2 4521089 Does she not eat the yolk? Thu Mar 19 19:51:26 -0700 2009 4520235 68319 Sinicle 3 4521697 Yes she does. You know there is fat and then their is fat. Fri Mar 20 05:31:31 -0700 2009 4521089 89493 scubadoo97 1 4520334 This cooking method http://www.winosandfoodies.com/2005/10/best_ever_egg.html intrigued me, and I tried it, and found it delicious. Now I just use my Fagor egg poacher--I butter 2 little holders, crack an egg, let the white go into one first and the yolk into another some 40 seconds later. I truly don't know if it's "all in my head", but it seems to yes, taste better. Can anyone explain why? Thu Mar 19 15:03:42 -0700 2009 4519610 42470 blue room 1 4521117 Oil? Seriously? Never. I use a non stick skillet or grill pan I use a small around of butter and oil mixed or bacon dripping but just a bit if I made bacon. I crack the egg in a dish and then add to the pan. It should not sizzle that much, just a little. NOT too hot then cook uncovered for about 8 minutes. Yellow center, no runny whites. Simple. When I make corned beef hash I make mine in a cast iron. I make 4 indentations and then transfer to the oven after cracking the 4 eggs in the small indents I made. They come out perfect yellow centers and whites done. I've been doing this for years and it is full proof. Oil. It works but why? It isn't needed to achieve what you want. Thu Mar 19 20:00:30 -0700 2009 4519610 232829 kchurchill5 2 4521314 I love me some butter, not afraid of oils, but it sounds disgusting to fry an egg like that...must be the woman in me. I heat a heavy duty stainless, spray with canned oil, crack an egg in, season egg, once the white starts to firm a bit- I put 2 tsp of water in lid, then pour gentley into pan and cover. Maybe 3-4 mintues later I have a perfect egg- runny yolk yet firm whites. Toss a little spinach on the egg and cover for a few seconds more- YUM! We also have a stove top 4 egg poacher that we use on weekends for perfect round eggs...nice to whip an egg and cook in poacher for me 6 yr old- who still doesn't dig runny yolks. Thu Mar 19 21:44:07 -0700 2009 4521117 12388 JalamaMama 3 4522118 I like the water idea. Like a mild poach, Keep the temp don't so the crust doesn't get crunchy. Nice idea. I didn't like runny yokes until highschool. Don't know why. I poach eggs in a cookie cutter in a small pan. Put 1" of water in my small saute pan and put a cookie cutter in. Drop the egg in that. it stays in the round cookie cutter and 1 minute later just remove and let finish cooking. No need for the vinegar. I bought a pack of 3 round metal ones for 99 cents at the dollar store. Works great. I too had a egg poacher for years until my neighbor taught me this trick, then when I moved and no room ... it got sold. Fri Mar 20 08:19:59 -0700 2009 4521314 232829 kchurchill5 3 4543202 This is an old fry cook's trick for people who order "basted eggs". Crack the eggs on the flattop, drop a cube or two of ice next to them and cover. It does work well. Often the veil of the white over the yolk will cook to opaque as well, but the yolk remains deliciously runny. Fri Mar 27 06:45:56 -0700 2009 4521314 65193 EdwardAdams 4 4544119 Are you calling me a old fry cook? HAHAHA- I've been called worse.. Fri Mar 27 11:57:46 -0700 2009 4543202 12388 JalamaMama 5 4544547 We used to say "Fry guy"! The messiest job in the kitchen. Fri Mar 27 13:54:44 -0700 2009 4544119 11097 coll 6 4546613 "fry guy" - crappiest spot on line. No one wanted to be the fry guy. LOL Sat Mar 28 12:03:42 -0700 2009 4544547 71241 lynnlato 1 4521352 Really, the egg won't absorb very much oil at all. The edges with their rough texture is the only place the grease will really stick. You get much fattier eggs if you scramble them and introduce a lot of texture to your fat-coated surface. Thu Mar 19 22:14:10 -0700 2009 4519610 130151 dmd_kc 1 4521403 The thing I really like about "deep frying" an egg (or poaching in oil) is that the white doesn't spread irregularly across the pan the way nearly-fat-free frying or poaching in water does if the egg proves to be "less than fresh". You get a nice compact egg with well rounded edges to the whites. But I don't like my eggs fried in bacon fat. Two things I hate in life: One is bacon and eggs that both taste identical, the other is skinless hot dogs that have the same texture and density as the bun. There's nothing more disappointing than eating two foods that leave you feeling like you've only had one! Thu Mar 19 22:52:04 -0700 2009 4519610 112096 Caroline1 1 4521802 Yes, in Europe, that's a fried egg - deep-fried, as it were - most Americans are unfamiliar with this technique (hint: allow the egg to float in the oil). Use EVOO for this. Fri Mar 20 06:35:50 -0700 2009 4519610 13819 Karl S 1 4521877 PS: Don't spray PAM on a non-stick piece of cookware. There's some sort of residue in it that will ruin the non-stick. Fri Mar 20 07:03:12 -0700 2009 4519610 10814 sbp 2 4522027 I've heard that before, but have been doing it for decades with no problems. Using metal utensils, on the other hand... Spray oil (at least the TJs stuff I use) is just oil and soy lecithin. I just don't understand how that is supposed to be a problem. Fri Mar 20 07:39:38 -0700 2009 4521877 58743 alanbarnes 3 4522684 I know, I used to use it all the time, but stopped when I read about the supposed effects. I never noticed it either, though I did have 2 Scanpans that seemed to lose their non-stickiness in a month. But I chalk that up to Scanpan just being no good (the second one was the replacement after I sent back the first under the "lifetime warranty"). Fri Mar 20 10:45:53 -0700 2009 4522027 10814 sbp 2 4523128 Non stick pans are essentially disposable anyway. Some spray oils will leave a sticky residue when exposed to high heat. You can clean it off but it requires a bit of scrubbing which isn't good for the coating either. I use sprays without hesitation. I try not to spend a lot on non stick so when they get old and don't function well they are tossed out. Fri Mar 20 12:34:26 -0700 2009 4521877 89493 scubadoo97 1 4522002 My bf fries his eggs in olive oil and they really are beautiful to look at. Fri Mar 20 07:33:42 -0700 2009 4519610 102095 vvvindaloo 2 4524036 My SS eggs are a once-a-week thing, usually after I've fried some bacon. Hot pan gets gently scrubbed with some hot water and the plastic scrubber, then dried and put back to reheat on the same flame-tamer-topped burner. Olive oil poured in, just maybe 1/4 cup or less, then bacon fat added, then eggs from a bowl. Salt and pepper and then the lid goes on and fire turned down. Takes the better part of ten minutes. Firm whites and runny yolks for Mrs. O, a couple more minutes to sorta jell my yolks a bit, though the slight unevenness in the pan's heat takes care of most of that. I *LOVE* Sunday breakfast... Fri Mar 20 18:05:50 -0700 2009 4522002 11478 Will Owen 3 4524316 I love Sunday breakfast when I happen to be home too. A couple of strips of bacon, and I don't use much grease, just a little, very little and fry my eggs. I use my large metal cookie cutter and put it in the pan and put the egg in. It makes a perfect round egg. I remove it after a few second once the white starts to set. There really isn't any reason to do it but my grandma used to make her poached that way as well as her fried and I always though it looked cute. So I just do it. Tastes the same it is just perfectly round. I guess just a habit. But sunday breakfast is my favorite, 2 pieces of good fresh whole wheat bread with homemade orange butter. Fri Mar 20 20:44:21 -0700 2009 4524036 232829 kchurchill5 1 4524205 The fresher the egg, the higher it will sit in the pan, white and yolk both. Why not just poke around the edge of the yolk with your spatula to make slits in the cooked white for the uncooked white to hit the pan and cook thoroughly? Works for me. Fri Mar 20 19:30:10 -0700 2009 4519610 10483 Joebob 1 4524275 Back in the day we used to fry the bacon first (lots of nice hot greasy salty bacon fat cooked out of it) then fry the egg in the bacon fat and splat some of the hot fat up on top of the egg so it would cook the yolk a little bit. Now we don't do that any more. Instead we eat organic granola for breakfast. Wisdom isn't always fun. Fri Mar 20 20:04:25 -0700 2009 4519610 15521 Querencia 1 4524510 Maybe I'm missing something. How is cooking the egg in oil making it perfect? Wouldn't you accomplish the same thing cooking it in bacon fat or butter. I usually rub the hot pan down with butter drop the egg in the pan and it's basically done in seconds. Is this not considered a fried sunny side egg? I also am curious as to your comment about getting the perfect sunny side egg in a reestaurant being an impossible task. Where do you go that they don't do eggs perfectly? Any decent diner can make perfect SS eggs with corned beef hash 99 out of 100 times. Why has this eluded you for so long? Either I'm missing something or this seems like a minot accomplishment. Fri Mar 20 23:08:27 -0700 2009 4519610 165800 jhopp217 2 4542831 That's a 'frizzled' egg. What the author is looking for here is perfectly tender..NON CRISPY whites and fluid yolks. And, yes, frizzled is how you usually get them at diners, and many people love them like that, but not me, and obviously not everyone else on this board. Thu Mar 26 23:43:40 -0700 2009 4524510 191827 FibroLady 3 4542840 Confused. I read the OP and they said they used bacon fat. They also said the oil came up over the sides and the yolks stood high and dry. I also googled frizzled egg and didn't come up with anything. So please explain your cooking method and how it differs in any way to me and the OP, and from diners who serve over-easy eggs this way by the thousands! Thu Mar 26 23:51:55 -0700 2009 4542831 165800 jhopp217 4 4542856 A 'frizzled' egg refers to an egg put into very hot fat, and the edges of the egg go crispy and 'frizzled'. Yes, many people prefer this, but as I said, what the author and others are referring to here is cooking them slowly over low heat so that the whites remain soft, even at the edges, and the yolks are soft and creamy, not still nearly raw, and the little 'slimy' knobs along the edge of the yolk cook through. This is considered the 'proper' way to cook eggs, and is the method taught in culinary school, although it isn't as popular here as it is in Europe. Mostly cos Americans seem to have been raised on the 'frizzled edged' eggs. To each his own, however it is much trickier to cook them more slowly, as the yolks can get overcooked easily this way. I still think it's well worth the trouble, and I won't waste calories on eating the frizzled ones. I don't enjoy the 'chewy' whites, it rather reminds me of plastic. Oh, and not to mention, the entire bottom of the egg is exactly like the frizzled sides. Fri Mar 27 00:27:58 -0700 2009 4542840 191827 FibroLady 5 4542918 I cooked egg breakfasts at a deli for three years, and never once "frizzled" the eggs. My mother made them like that, so I WAS raised on them and know what it is, but that is the ONLY time I've ever seen what you are talking about: it is not a preferred method as far as I know (Mom just isn't that into cooking). I can't imagine a restaurant serving something like that purposely. You just have to watch the eggs and move them around on the griddle quickly with lots of hot grease, no one is waiting 10 minutes for an egg in the morning on the way to work. My whites and yolks are not that far off from poached, soft and juicy, and everywhere I go the they are served that way too. I feel bad for you that all the restaurants you go to have frizzled eggs! Fri Mar 27 03:00:25 -0700 2009 4542856 11097 coll 5 4546618 Well said, FL. Sat Mar 28 12:07:15 -0700 2009 4542856 71241 lynnlato 2 4544207 I'm with you...I've gotten a million delicious sunny side up eggs at a million different diners. Never realized it was so hard. Soft but cooked whites, not crsipy at all and a nice runny yolk. Guess the diners in NJ and NYC have the best egg cooks this side of the Atlantic. Fri Mar 27 12:20:28 -0700 2009 4524510 12821 ESNY 1 4543059 The answer is so simple you will wonder why you did not think of it yourself. It takes practically no oil to fry cook a perfect egg every time. Add about a teaspoon of oil (we like olive oil) per egg to the hot skillet (heavy cast iron is best). When the oil is hot break the egg gently into it. Season the egg as you like and let cook a few seconds. Add a tablespoon or two of water to the skillet and cover immediately. Turn off the heat. there will be enough residual heat in the skillet to finish steaming the egg to perfection. Truly simple - no grease or flipping. We like to saute' a bit of chopped onion and bell pepper in the oil a minute or so before adding the egg directly on top of the veggies. We place this perfectly cooked egg onto a slice of toast and top with a bit of picante sauce. Fri Mar 27 05:41:25 -0700 2009 4519610 186807 condie 2 4543782 Sounds good, but there is something to be said for "poaching" eggs in fat or oil. When I was a kid, my mom would fry bacon for five or six people, then turned the job over to me when I was a little older. I discovered that if you do NOT drain the bacon grease from the pan between batches, the deeper the fat, the faster the bacon rendered into crispy slices. Then I discovered eggs dropped into fat up to their crested yolks hold their shape better than eggs dropped into a pan with a fat or oil coating. This morning I had eggs poached in peanut oil on top of waffles swimming in maple syrup with microwaved bacon on the side. Nuking bacon is SOOOOO much faster than frying it. My eggs came out with nice compact whites that were firm and perfectly done with luscious runny yolks that bled into all the little craters in my waffles. Good stuff, Maynard...! '-) Fri Mar 27 09:48:23 -0700 2009 4543059 112096 Caroline1 3 4546632 Caroline, you described one of my favorite breakfasts! A fried egg over a pancake/waffle/french toast w/ butter and maple syrup and bacon on the side. I like to then break the yolk, salt it and dig in. This is my kind of heaven. We also do our bacon on a "bacon tray" in the microwave. Comes out the perfect texture crunchy/chewy and I pour off the dripping for another use. Sat Mar 28 12:12:53 -0700 2009 4543782 71241 lynnlato 4 4547323 They are good! There are soooooooo many GREAT ways to have eggs for breakfast! Had another favorite this morning... Stacked enchiladas with a fried egg on top. An old family recipe that is fantastic with the yolk running through the enchilada's filling. I think i'ts time I start thinking about reverting to oatmeal to keep my cholesterol happy! '-) Sat Mar 28 18:01:37 -0700 2009 4546632 112096 Caroline1 5 4547414 Mm, mm, good. I made huevos rancheros a couple nights ago. There really isn't a bad way to have eggs... in my book. Just don't overcook the yolks - puhlease! Yep, tomorrow I SHOULD have oat bran. Sat Mar 28 18:40:46 -0700 2009 4547323 71241 lynnlato 2 4544452 Good reply. Think I'll try your version with chives and tomato salsa. Fri Mar 27 13:25:55 -0700 2009 4543059 232543 bighinx 1 4543945 While I believe this topic has gotten insane, I just found this from Fernand Point, who some consider to be the father of modern French cooking Place a lump of fresh butter in a pan or egg dish and let it melt - that is, just enough for it to spread, and never, of course, to crackle or sit; open a very fresh egg onto a small plate or saucer and slide it carefully into the pan; cook it on heat so low that the white barely turns creamy, and the yolk becomes hot but remains liquid; in a separate saucepan, melt another lump of fresh butter; remove the egg onto a lightly heated serving plate; salt it and pepper it, then very gently pour this fresh, warm butter over it. - Fernand Point Fri Mar 27 11:15:22 -0700 2009 4519610 165800 jhopp217 2 4544160 I don't know... not sure there's enough butter in this dish '-D Fri Mar 27 12:07:29 -0700 2009 4543945 116513 linguafood 3 4544403 Beurre! Fri Mar 27 13:15:02 -0700 2009 4544160 165800 jhopp217 2 4940892 >His most famous words were "Beurre beurre, donnez-moi du beurre, toujours du beurre" (from Wikipedia, on Fernand Point). The only thing that stands between me and utter adoration for this man is the fact that he was immensely fat and died at 57. An unbridled love for butter does have its consequences... Wed Aug 12 14:13:01 -0700 2009 4543945 11478 Will Owen 3 4940910 I share that love for butter, and am also, by coincidence, 57. But I spend hours a week at the gym so that I can indulge my desires while remaining heart-healthy and fit. Wed Aug 12 14:18:52 -0700 2009 4940892 14386 BobB 1 4544441 Using a teaspoon of oil or butter and adding water and heating before adding the eggs is basically basted eggs, much better for you that fried eggs. No need to scoop the eggs out. If low heat is used constantly and with patience, perfect eggs with moderately or slightly runny yokes simply slide out of the saucepan or small skillet. Fri Mar 27 13:23:13 -0700 2009 4519610 232543 bighinx 1 4546595 since I eat eggs nearly every day, I cannot use the "lots of oil" technique without my heart slamming shut in the near future. BUT I think I have a viable way to make the perfectly set fried egg(s) with no oil! I take two four inch mini teflon fry pans. I spray the first pan with organic non-stick spray and crack 2 - 3 eggs into it. My burner is set at medium high, and I place the second pan on top of the first creating a lid that is not perfect, thus allowing some heat and steam to escape. You can monitor the firmness of your eggs and create your custom "set" according too your taste. Sat Mar 28 11:51:55 -0700 2009 4519610 222848 devondvm 2 4547841 According to the research I've been reading lately, if one is going to use teflon pans, the heat should never be higher than medium. I try to limit my use of teflon, but I've noticed over the years that when it is used over higher heat, it will crack and flake quickly, even if it is in the pricier pans. At home I've brought out my old cast iron pans, reseasoned them and use them for ALMOST everything. Especially things which need higher heat, as they work so much better than my stainless steel cookware for releasing the foods easily. I have even begun using cast iron at work at times. I fervently *heart* cast iron! They DO sell 'mini' cast iron skillets as well. I have a set myself, which I never consigned to 'cabinet purgatory' (unlike most of the old cast iron I 'inherited' from my family when I was young) as I have used them for things like Dutch Babies, and individual servings of other things all these years. Sun Mar 29 00:02:44 -0700 2009 4546595 191827 FibroLady 3 4549101 Unless the food in your Teflon pan has burst into flames, you're not overheating it. If you leave an empty pan on high heat for several minutes, you may create a problem. But putting a pan with food in it over medium-high heat is absolutely safe. Sun Mar 29 14:23:21 -0700 2009 4547841 58743 alanbarnes 1 4547830 Actually, I do think the best solution for those who dislike using fat is to learn to make a perfect poached egg. I LOVE poached eggs, and make them quite often, at least more often than fried eggs. Not because I dislike fat, but because they are so versatile. They can be used to top many foods, and when the yolk is broken, provides the most wonderful natural sauce to be found, IMHO. Lately I've been steaming or roasting asparagus, seasoning it simply with lemon juice and zest, a bit of sea salt and cracked pepper, and topping with a poached egg. (OK!! I admit, I usually add a small drizzle of good olive oil, but this is optional.) This is a wonderful light meal, I don't miss hollandaise sauce in the least when I do it like this, and it is very healthy. I serve it with some good bread, toasted, to sop up every last bit of yolk, and either a small salad to start or fresh fruit to end, and OH! I am going to be SO sad when asparagus season is over. (I AM busily blanching and freezing as much as I have time to do right now, of course.) Anyway, try topping things with a poached egg, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's so good! AND...NO added fat! Sat Mar 28 23:48:20 -0700 2009 4519610 191827 FibroLady 2 4547994 Gotta disagree with you on no added fat from a poached egg. The average large egg contains nearly six grams of fat. Well, unless you're poaching Egg Beaters, but I don't think I'd like that. No yolk! Sun Mar 29 05:40:53 -0700 2009 4547830 112096 Caroline1 3 4550342 Um, there is no *added* fat. Meaning, no fat in addition to the fat already in the egg... Mon Mar 30 06:18:51 -0700 2009 4547994 13819 Karl S 4 4551671 Okay. Sometimes I can be so literal! But I'd rather add a tablespoon or two of butter to the egg yolk and go with the Hollandiase! '-) Mon Mar 30 12:53:30 -0700 2009 4550342 112096 Caroline1 1 4548215 Hey Alan, Isn't it funny how what seems like a simple thing can take a long time to master. For years prefect gravy was my Achilles heel. Never came out the same twice and the consistency was never to my liking. Never cared for sunny side up myself before I started baking eggs. Sun Mar 29 07:54:36 -0700 2009 4519610 259011 Demented 1 4548244 To make sunny side up eggs, I take my cast iron skillet and heat it to the smoking point. Add a little bit of oil, spread it around and then add the eggs. Once the egg whites have set, turn off the heat and let the residual heat in the pan take it for a ride. In a few minutes you will have perfectly cooked sunny side up eggs. Sun Mar 29 08:04:49 -0700 2009 4519610 84765 onocoffee 2 4940926 My variation on that is that I use a cast-iron flame-tamer plate under the skillet, which acts as an extra heat sink. I don't have to have the skillet that hot, just hot enough to make the whites start to go opaque fairly soon, and I can turn off the gas before they're totally set. The only trick I've not mastered is to get the toast to pop at exactly the moment the eggs are perfectly done. I usually just plate Mrs. O's eggs at the point of perfection and hope they don't get cold, because warming the plate too much kinda blows the whole point of the exercise... Neglected to mention that I have a glass pot-lid that fits the skillet, and I cover the cooking eggs with that. Wed Aug 12 14:22:35 -0700 2009 4548244 11478 Will Owen 1 4548327 I tried this this morning and my results weren't stellar BUT I didn't follow your instructions to the tee (I went based off memory). I started the bacon drippings in a too hot pan (first error) and when I added the egg the fat spit and burned my finger (still hurts). Anyway, i started w/ too much heat and removed my egg too soon and so the tops of my whites weren't finished cooking. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow. Sun Mar 29 08:39:37 -0700 2009 4519610 71241 lynnlato 1 4549252 An Aussie friend of mine said she liked her eggs cooked "sunny side up and flipped over"! Maybe that is really what you want. Sun Mar 29 15:25:49 -0700 2009 4519610 11387 nosey 1 4549440 Here I am replying to my own post. Sheesh. This morning I ordered sunny-side-up (SSU) eggs in a diner. And let me tell you, anybody who says that diners make great fried eggs either eats in different diners or has a different definition of a perfect egg than I do. These eggs were lightly crisped on the bottom, so they were only a little bit like plastic. And by the time the whites had set, the bottom of the yolk was quite firm. The top was still runny, but these SSU eggs suffered from the same problem as most others - the bottoms were overdone by the time the tops were ready. I realize that there are plenty of ways to cook the top, from flipping the egg over to steaming the egg to running it under the broiler. But that's not what I'm looking for. If there's a veil of cooked white covering the yolk, it ain't SSU. I want the top of the white cooked, but not the top of the yolk. So the only two options are to let the white cook from the bottom up, or to get some heat to the top of the white while keeping the top of the yolk relatively cool. The best way to cook from the bottom up is to start with a warm egg and use very low heat. It works, but there's still the problem with the bottom getting done first. Using oil that's barely hot and that covers the white but not the yolk seems to be the best way to accomplish the desired results. Make that MY desired results. If you like your eggs some other way, more power to you. Anyhow, I did measure the amount of fat added by oil-poaching the whites. (Thanks, Caroline - that's a really good description.) I put the fat in the pan, weighed them together with the spatula, cooked and two eggs, and then weighed the pan, spatula, and remaining fat. The weight went down by 2 grams. Now my scale measures in 2-gram increments, so it could have been as little as 1 gram of fat that was removed from the pan and served with the eggs. Or it might be as much as 3 grams. But we're talking about an amount of fat that's in the same range as a teaspoon of butter. And I seriously doubt that using a half-cup of oil adds any more fat to the dish than using a small knob of butter. That's not to say that this is a good idea for somebody on a low-fat diet. But EGGS aren't particularly good for people on a low-fat diet. So if you have been looking for perfect SSU egg, give it a try. If your idea of perfection is the same as mine, it might just be a winning technique for you. Sun Mar 29 16:41:38 -0700 2009 4519610 58743 alanbarnes 2 4549957 Alan, if you drain the eggs well, I suspect you're being over-generous in your estimate of the amount of oil/fat they retain. Unless you beat or whip something into eggs, they are pretty much impermeable. If they weren't, can you imagine the mess an egg poached in water would turn into? The oil/fat supports the white and helps it retain its shape but does not get absorbed into the interior of an egg. I suspect the difference in fat content between a well drained large oil-poached egg is about the same difference as that between a large and extra large hard boiled egg. Just not that big a deal. Unless, of course, you poach the egg in butter, then pour the butter over your waffles! <looking around> Who said that! Sun Mar 29 21:16:20 -0700 2009 4549440 112096 Caroline1 3 4550003 I think the question is how well they're drained. Unless you wash the eggs in soap, there'll be a thin layer of oil coating the white. So there's a little added fat. But not much. Especially compared to how much butter my waffles can hold. Sun Mar 29 22:01:01 -0700 2009 4549957 58743 alanbarnes 4 4550047 Hey, Belgian waffles can bring new meaning to "Land of Lakes" butter....! '-) Sun Mar 29 22:40:57 -0700 2009 4550003 112096 Caroline1 1 4938720 Hi folks, I read the entire thread, and have done plenty o' research outside, but I am stymied by something: I have four chickens that have just started laying eggs. I have always been able to make a perfect (well, for me--frizzled with a runny yolk) fried egg. I was so excited when the chickens finally started laying last month--beautiful teal and brown eggs--but I have ruined almost every egg I've tried to fry. I have been using olive oil with a well-seasoned cast-iron pan--and they stick. I stopped using butter about a year ago--and finally realized I probably haven't fried an egg since then. Sure enough, I tried using butter again, a mere 1/4 t, and they came out fine. I am mystified. Plenty of people, on and off this board, fry eggs in olive oil. Am I heating the oil too high? I know I fry my eggs in brown butter--at a high temperature. And I don't think I've changed my pan preheating timing that dramatically with oil.... Any insight would be much appreciated. At this point, I'm just scientifically curious. Lauren Tue Aug 11 21:52:46 -0700 2009 4519610 121795 lsteltzer 2 4938934 Every time I've tried to add eggs to a cast iron heated to a fairly high temperature, no matter what I use as a lubricant, they stick. I've found the only way to do it is to add them to a low-medium temperature skillet; I haven't had any problems this way and have only had beautiful eggs as a result. Wed Aug 12 04:01:08 -0700 2009 4938720 75881 vorpal 2 4939632 Have you tried a different pan? I can't see how olive oil is any lesser of a fat then butter to prevent sticking so the only other variable I can think of it is the pan. Wed Aug 12 08:39:42 -0700 2009 4938720 10195 KTinNYC 2 4940946 Hot pan, add cold oil (room temp, that is). Let oil come up to heat, drop in room temp egg. That always works for me. If I've been frying bacon then both the pan and the fat are hot, but that works OK too. What does not work is a cold egg, but mine never are anyway. Wed Aug 12 14:27:35 -0700 2009 4938720 11478 Will Owen 1 4939114 I heat a couple of tablespoons oil to medium (hate crispy eggs). In goes the egg. I let it cook slowly for a while to set a little, then tilt the frying pan and start spooning the hot oil over the top. As soon as the yolk starts to go opaque, I know it's done enough for me. Perfect yolk - just ready to dunk the breakfast mushrooms in. Wed Aug 12 05:57:08 -0700 2009 4519610 154102 Harters 2 4939152 Another approach is easier: the deep-fried egg (which is what "fried eggs" are in places like France and Spain). Use a small pot (or something that is provides more depth than width, to conserve oil and keep the egg from touching the bottom) rather than a skillet, pour olive oil in to at least 1/2 inch. Heat it up over moderate heat. Open an egg into a custard cup or small bowl, and gently drop it into the hot oil. The edges get a bit frilly, but you can cook the egg to your desired level of doneness. You can spoon it out (a nonstick implement helps) onto a paper towel, top it off with some coarse salt and pepper, and use it like any fried or poached egg. Wed Aug 12 06:18:59 -0700 2009 4939114 13819 Karl S 1 4939561 AB, I like my eggs the same way and have never had problems. I cook them at the moment in my LC pan on medium high with no oil but the excess of what I cooked first. Someimes I cook them on their own and it's the same thing. I don't know how, but I just never really thought about it. Wed Aug 12 08:24:08 -0700 2009 4519610 180623 Soop 1 4940246 Wouldn't it work to use a bit of butter and/or oil and cover the pan so that the top cooks without a flip being needed? theobsessivechef.blogspot.com Wed Aug 12 11:23:12 -0700 2009 4519610 1101147 scrout1944 1 4942178 If you want to get a perfectly fried egg as you describe, lightly cooked while and bright orange/yellow yoke untouch by heat, sunnyside egg try this method. Separate the egg into white and yoke. Cook the white and put the yoke back on at the end of the cooking process. As for cooking the white, you can fry but if you want it cooked even (top and bottom) of the white egg, lightly fry then bake. For me it is a lot of trouble for an egg so I just fry it on my cast iron skillet with minimal oil. Wed Aug 12 22:36:23 -0700 2009 4519610 10639 Soup 2 4945698 :/ Did it last night drunk, and it worked great again. Fri Aug 14 03:17:56 -0700 2009 4942178 180623 Soop