No breakfast is complete without an egg. Be it scrambled, fried, poached or an omelette, eggs on a breakfast table are simply a must. Other than the fact that they are so versatile and easy to prepare, eggs are rich in protein and are tasty, cooked in whichever way you please. One such interesting way of preparing eggs is the sunny-side-up method where you fry the bottom side of the egg, leaving the yolk runny. As simple as it may sound, making the eggs perfectly sunny-side-up needs a bit of practice. But worry not, listed below are the instructions on how to go about it.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time required: 5-8 minutes
Estimated cost: $1 for serving of 4 eggs
Resources required:
1. 2 eggs
2. Frying pan with lid
3. 1 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil or cooking spray
4. Spatula
Instructions:
1. Heating the oil
Place the frying pan on medium-high heat and let it heat up thoroughly. Once hot, add the oil, just enough to coat the bottom and wait for it to warm up.
2. Cracking the eggs
Crack the eggs into the frying pan, one at a time, carefully. Hold it over the pan while you break it and gently drop it in. Try and get the yolk to be intact otherwise it would cause the yolk to run over. If the eggs are sticking to the pan, use a spatula and gently separate them.
3. Cooking the eggs
Reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook till the egg white and the yolk reach the desired consistency – which means the egg white should be set and the yolk should be wobbly. Cook the egg covered for about 2 minutes and then lift the lid to see if the egg white around the yolk has become solid and opaque and the yolk has firmed and thickened a bit. If not, cover and cook again for another 2 minutes. Usually the whole process should be over in a matter of 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Transferring to a plate
Once the eggs have been cooked to perfection, remove from fire. Keep a plate ready and slightly tilt the pan and slide the eggs into the plate, using the spatula if required. If they have stuck to each other, slice them apart using the edges of the spatula and then slide them over to the plate. But make sure you do not break the loose egg yolk.
5. Serving
Season with enough salt and pepper and serve hot with some toast which can be used to wipe up all that tasty yolk oozing out.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How to eat sunny-side-up eggs on a sandwich?
Eating an egg sunny-side-up is a tricky affair so it will eventually be a mess. But try placing the fillings at the bottom and top the egg with the bread slice so that the bread absorbs all the yolk that would ooze out.
How do I ensure that the eggs are intact when I break it into the pan?
To make sure they are intact, you can first break them into individual ramekins or small bowls and then slide them into the frying pans. This will give you more control and also help you get rid of any egg shells that might have accidentally fallen in.
If my egg whites get cooked faster than the yolks, what should I do?
If you feel that the whites have cooked, but the yolks haven’t, then close with a lid and continue cooking a tad longer. The lid will trap the heat and cook the yolks. Also pour about 1 tablespoon water into the pan and the steam arising thereof will cook the egg perfectly.
Quick tips:
- If you want to cook large number of eggs at a time, use a large frying pan which would give enough room for each egg to spread out. Overcrowding the eggs would make it thick, which would mean more time to cook.
- Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before cooking, which means cooking time would be lesser and also the egg would hold its shape while cooking.
- Cook eggs on low heat which will ensure that the part touching the bottom of the pan won’t cook significantly faster than the top and yolk.
- Add butter instead of oil to cook the eggs for a much richer taste.
Things to watch out for:
1. Eggs take very little time to cook so keep a close watch on it. If overcooked, it becomes rubbery and will be unpleasant to eat.
2. Break the egg with a knife or tap it on the counter, but not on the hot frying pan. It is important that you avoid a strong shock to the egg shell.
3. Salmonella can affect eggs. So make sure you cook the eggs to the desired temperature and consistency. Using pasteurised eggs will also reduce the attack of bacteria.
4. Don’t add salt while the eggs are cooking. It would draw moisture and make the eggs rubbery and would also cause the eggs to cook unevenly.
