Why Your Perfectly Fried Egg Is Not PERFECT

A seemingly simple yet one of the most frustratingly difficult culinary tasks is to fry a perfect egg. You might learn how to cook a perfectly succulent steak dinner but things get tricky when it comes to putting an egg on top.

Should you break it in the pan? Should you fry it in oil or butter? Should you flip? Touch? Poke? Aaagh! The whirlwind of doubts strikes you right when the egg turns brown in front of your eyes.

If this has happened to you, then welcome to Fried Eggs 101. If not, we bow to your culinary talents.

Types of Fried Eggs

First things first, know what you want. Here are the 4 common types of fried eggs that, if left in the frying pan, are just 30 seconds away from each other.

1. Sunny side up: The egg is fried with the yolk up and is not flipped.
2. Over easy: The egg is flipped and the yolk is still runny.
3. Over medium: The egg is flipped and the yolk is only slightly runny.
4. Over well: The egg is flipped and the yolk is cooked hard.

SEE ALSO: This is what celebrities ate at the Oscars 2017 After-Party

Regardless of the type of egg you want, abide by the following chef-approved rules and we guarantee you the perfect taste, colour and consistency.

1. Don’t break the egg into the pan

 

This is your first egg-fatal mistake. Never break the egg directly into the pan. Always break it into a bowl and then pour it where you want on the pan to make sure it’s cooked evenly.

2. Avoid touching the egg for at least 30 seconds

 

Patience is a virtue. Don’t flip or poke your egg for at least 30 seconds.  Gently loosen the edges to flip it over. Poking to see if it’s cooked from inside will make the egg white runny.

3. Add a teaspoon of water

 

Adding a dash of water is ideal if you want to avoid oil or butter altogether. It helps steam the frying pan without any fat.

4. The ideal time frame

 

The longer you leave the eggs in the pan, the harder the yolk. Here is an ideal timeframe for different types of fried eggs.

• Sunny side up: 3 ½ - 4 minutes (A thin transparent layer should appear over egg white)
• Over easy: 5 minutes
• Over medium: Flip and leave for 3 minutes
• Over well: Each side should be cooked for 3 minutes