There’s nothing quite better in the morning than fuelling up with eggs and the fried egg is one of the quickest, simplest and most delicious methods of enjoying eggs for breakfast. Whilst some people prefer a fried egg sunny-side up with a crispy bottom and golden top, others opt for the classic ‘over easy’ method whereby the egg gets flipped on both sides but the yolk still holds the glorious runniness which is ready to be mopped up by whatever is on the plate.
The trick to making brilliant over easy fried eggs is primarily in the flip, but first you must get everything else right before it gets to that stage if you really want to dish up quality eggs which not only look good but taste great.
Use the right cooking equipment
Ideally you’ll want to be using a non-stick pan for your fried eggs so you can easily flip the egg when it gets to the right time. The spatula needs to be very thin and ideally metal so it can easily slide under the egg for flipping.
Cracking your eggs
Your pan should be on a low-medium heat with the top just smoking. When you’ve got it right gently crack your eggs into the pan making sure each egg is positioned away from one another so they don’t form into one large fried egg and you’ll be able to flip them individually. Season with a little salt and black pepper and cook until the egg whites at the bottom have just set.
Getting the flip right
Once you have your egg to the right consistency it’s time for the all-important flipping. Gently slide a thin spatula under the egg, lift it slightly from the pan and quickly flip it. To ensure the yolk doesn’t break during the process, keep the egg close to the pan when flipping and also bring the pan towards the spatula so the contact has minimal impact. Cook for 10 seconds then flip the egg back onto its original side and serve. You should have an egg with a thin layer of crisp running over the yolk, of which should still be runny when you tuck in!
If you prefer your yolk a little well done you can also cook eggs over medium or eggs over hard by simply increasing the cooking time after you’ve flipped.