Over Easy Eggs: Tips for Deliciousness Every Time
Of all the simple breakfasts out there, over easy eggs are everyone’s favorite. These hard-working eggs are at home on rice, burgers, and even on pizza. The whites are thoroughly cooked, but the yolks are still good. Getting that consistency isn’t challenging. If you what you’re doing you’ll hit that sweet spot of deliciousness every time.
What is an Over Easy Egg?
Unlike sunny-side-up eggs, which are only cooked on one side, over easy eggs are cooked on both sides. “Easy” refers to the cooking of egg yolks which means it is still liquid. But, you can also cook eggs for a longer until they are “medium” or “hard”.
Over Easy Eggs Vs Medium and Hard Eggs
In egg terms, “over” can be understood as the action of flipping in a pan as well as corresponding to the cooking of the yolk.
Over Easy Eggs
An “Over Easy” egg is the second in the gooeyness (right after the sunny side is up), meaning it has a dripping yolk nestled in a slightly solid egg white.
Over Medium Eggs
An “Over Medium” egg produces hard-cooked egg whites and melted custard-like egg yolks otherwise described as jam-like soft-cooked eggs.
Over Hard Eggs
An “Over Hard” egg is cooked until the yolks have a brittle, crumbling texture, similar to the centre of a hard-boiled egg.
Two Ways to Make Over Easy Eggs
Cooking eggs can be very complicated, but unless you’re making a fluffy meringue or a multi-step Hollande’s sauce, you don’t have to overthink it. Keep an eye on them, and over-easy eggs are relatively simple.
Microwave
Preparing eggs that are “easy” in the microwave actually creates a sunny-side-up egg, as you can’t get a signature sticker without the surface of a pan. Preheat a dish suitable for microwaves with butter so it melts on the surface. Then break the egg onto then plate, returning it to the microwave and cooking for about 45 seconds until the egg white is stable.
Stovetop
The most common way to make eggs that are “easy” is to fry them in a non-stick pan or stove pan. Heat an oiled pan (you can also use vegetable oil or butter) and crack the raw egg on its surface. Cook until solidified then gently rotate and cook for another 20-30 seconds.
Instructions
Choose the Perfect Pan.
Eggs are capricious and love sticking to the cooking surface, so start with the right pan. For two eggs, an 8-inch or 10-inch pan is just the right size, so there’s plenty of space to spread the eggs, but you also need a lot of butter to make sure the bottom is well coated. Use a natural non-stick pan, such as a cast iron or carbon steel frying pan with an added or seasoned non-stick coating. This allows eggs that are “easy” to slide on the plate like a dream.
Simple Seasonings
You can fry eggs that are “easy” with oil, but butter adds a nutty flavor and richness. Two eggs need one tablespoon. Melt butter in a pan, crack in two large eggs and season with a small amount of Kosher salt. If you like pepper, wait for the eggs to turn over before sprinkling the peppers to keep them from burning and keep them in excellent strength.
When to flip it?
Perhaps the most nerve-wracking part of frying over-easy eggs is when to turn the egg over. The golden rule is as follows: wait for almost all the egg white to cook and harden (that is going from transparent to opaque). You want to cook an egg undisturbed until about 0.5 inches of uncooked egg white remains around the yolk.
When the white is ready, turn it over. Make sure you have the right tools for this job such as a wide and flat putty knife. If you egg whites have combined together, use the spatula’s edge to cut the eggs so that you only flip one egg at once. Gently insert the spatula under the first egg, make sure it is in the center and under the yolk. Take a deep breath and gently flip the egg over. It’s as easy as that!
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