Want to fry eggs like a pro? Check out our guide on how to fry eggs perfectly, every time.
Arm yourself with a spatula, a teaspoon and a knife or fork with which to break the egg’s shell. For each egg, melt ½ a teaspoon of butter in a skillet or frying pan over a moderate (Medium-Low) heat. Tilt the pan and move it in a circular motion to coat the bottom of the pan. When the butter froths and is just starting to brown, the pan is hot enough for the egg.
Break each egg individually onto a saucer and then slide it carefully onto a greased section of the pan. This enables you to check for any eggs that may be ‘off’ and to remove any small piece of shell that may fall in with the egg.
When the bottom has set, tilt the pan and spoon the fat with teaspoon onto the top surface of the egg to assist the cooking process (eggs ‘sunny side up’) or flip the egg over by scooping it onto the spatula and then gently inverting it (‘eggs over easy’).
Cooking for Beginners- Notes on How to Fry Eggs
If the pan is too hot, the eggs will be crispy at the edges and leathery underneath. Using butter enables you to keep better control over the pan’s temperature because the pan is ready when the butter has melted completely and is just starting to brown.
As when making an omelet, if you want to avoid the additional cholesterol in butter, you can also use at least a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil instead of butter. In this case, use the water test: if a drop of water sizzles immediately it touches the surface of the pan, then the pan is at the correct heat.
If the pan starts to smoke, it is too hot for eggs: take the pan off the heat for a moment to let it cool down. Turn down the heat. Add your egg and then return the pan to the heat.
Serving Suggestions for Fried Eggs
Serve with French fries (from the microwave), or as part of a breakfast with toast, sausage, bacon and fried bread or as ham & eggs. Place a fried egg on top of simple suppers on toast, such as baked beans (pork & beans) on toast or melted cheese on toast. Fried eggs also form the basis of ranch-style dishes such as Ranch Eggs and Divorced Eggs (see below).
Simple Egg Recipes- Fried Bread
This is an ideal way to clean up the residue left in the pan after frying eggs and other breakfast items.
Heat a little extra oil in the pan and lay a slice of slightly stale bread in the pan. Fry until golden underneath and then turn the slice over and brown the other side. Sprinkle garlic powder on the top side of the slice before introducing it into the pan for garlic fried bread. You can also dip the slice in a mixture of beaten egg, ground cinnamon and milk before frying it and serve it with a topping of maple syrup for quick French toast.
Thick slices of bread with the crusts removed and then cut into cubes, sprinkled with garlic powder and herbs and fried in oil or butter make excellent croutons for salads or soups. Place the croutons in a bowl and sprinkle them with Parmesan while still hot for even more flavor.
Cooking for Beginners- Ranch Eggs
This is a dish that originated on the open range and consists of fried eggs laid on a fried tortilla spread with salsa and bacon rashers and topped with more salsa.
Simple Egg Recipes- Divorced Eggs
This dish is similar to Ranch Eggs but consists instead of two fried eggs on fried tortillas, one topped with red salsa and the other with green salsa. A space is left between the two eggs and filled with home-fried potatoes or refried beans for an authentic Mexican flavor. Sprinkle liberally with tortilla chips.
Scrambled eggs can be substituted for the fried eggs and toast can be substituted for the tortillas in both these recipes.
