1. If the eggs are part of another dish (i.e. an eggwich), do everything else first. Hold stuff in the oven if needed.
2. Crack the eggs into a small bowl before putting them in the pan. Sometimes there is This goes for both scrambled and fried eggs.
3. Use a small pan (8” or smaller). My favorite is an 8” cast iron skillet. A nonstick pan is more forgiving, especially for scrambling, but cast iron makes crispier fried edges.
4. Heat the pan over medium heat. For like forever. If it’s nonstick, oil or butter it before heating. Cast iron you can get really hot (in my case, overheat) without adding anything first.
Test if the pan is hot enough with a sprinkle of water — it should pop/sizzle as soon as it hits the pan.
5. Add a good amount of fat. I like butter for scrambled eggs, olive oil for fried eggs. I use about a teaspoon of butter for two scrambled, a tablespoon of olive oil for two fried.
6. For scrambled eggs, beat the eggs (about 40 beats) with a pinch of salt and a splash of milk or cream. This makes them really tender according to America’s Test Kitchen.
Pour the egg into the pan, wait a few seconds, then gently push the curds that are beginning to form towards the middle of the pan. When the egg is about half-done, kill the heat to avoid overcooking.
7. For fried eggs, slip the eggs from the bowl to the pan one at a time. Cook the bottom side to your desired doneness, but wait a minute or two before you start checking for less sticking.
You can then flip and cook the top for a few seconds for an over-easy egg, a few more seconds for over-medium. I get the best results using a rigid turner, lifting the egg not too far off the pan, then laying it back down slowly.
If you like the look of a sunny-side up egg but worry the white might be too runny, covering the pan with a plate or a piece of foil sets it in a minute or less.
8. Don’t let bursted yolks burst your bubble. Just try again next breakfast. You can always distract with sliced avocado, shaved parmesan, baby lettuces, pastries, a smile. It works on le bf every time ;)
What are your egg tips?
