How to Fry an Egg Over Easy

If you are familiar with perfectly done over easy eggs, you know they are yummy--soft in the middle with the white fried all the way around. Mmmm-mmmm! If you have tried to make over easy eggs, you know it can be an exercise in frustration. But there is a way to do it...really!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 10-inch fry pan
• Large spatula
• Burner
• 1 tbs. butter or cooking oil
• Eggs
• Serving plate
• Oven mitt if necessary

1. Have your equipment and ingredients all laid out. Make sure you have a serving plate ready for catching the finished product.

2. Heat the pan on medium low. It is the right temperature when a few drops of water splashed on it sizzle but don't pop around. If the water pops around, the pan is probably too hot. Take it off the burner to let it cool down and adjust the burner to a lower temperature.

3. Put a tablespoon of oil or butter in the pan. Holding the pan by the handle, tilt it around until the oil is spread.

4. Tap the egg firmly on the edge of the counter or pan to crack it. Hold it close to the pan surface as you open it up. You don't want the yolk breaking before you even start.

5. Allow the egg to cook until the white is firm and white on the bottom but is still jelly like over the yolk. It is a good thing if the egg is off center, it will be easier to flip.

6. Hold the pan by the handle in your left hand and the spatula in your right hand. (Lefties go the other way!). Making sure as much of the spatula is in contact with the pan as possible, slide the spatula blade under the egg firmly, so that the yolk sits on top of the spatula. This should be a swift move; slow and jittery might break the yolk.

7. With the egg on the spatula, tip the spatula forward or sideways and roll the egg over. The spatula edge should stay on the pan so that the rolling of the egg off the spatula is "easy." A soft egg yolk dropped from a spatula will probably break.

8. Allow the egg to cook another minute (maximum) and then firmly slide the spatula under the whole egg. Take it out of the pan and place it onto the serving plate.

Tips & Warnings

• Cook the eggs last when preparing a meal. They tend to go rubbery if kept warming in the oven.
• Hold the egg close to the pan surface as you break it open. Wedge the tips of your thumbs into the crack and pry it open. If it doesn't wedge open easily, give it another gentle crack.
• Farm fresh and free range eggs work better than your regular mass produced grocery chain eggs. This is because they have stronger yolks that can take more abuse.
• Start off with the right equipment. A well seasoned cast iron frying pan or a good no stick pan about 10 inches in diameter works best. You want to have enough room to maneuver. A fry pan is easier than a skillet for the same reason, you need as much maneuverability as you can get. Use a thin spatula that is at least as big as a fried egg.

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[notacooker]

on 9/12/2009 under "Tips and Warnings" I read that it's easier to use a fry pan than a skillet then looked up the difference and found that all frypans are skillets but all skillets are not fry pans ie: saute pans and such.

[Groundhog]

on 7/26/2007 This article is much better than the more general "How to fry an egg" article.