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Old 02-14-2014, 08:26 PM   #1
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Default The Perfect Egg

House sitting at the moment. One very cool aspect of that is getting to browse through other people's cook books. I came across a stack of Cook's Illustrated (July-Aug 2013)and noticed the topic of one article was "How to Fry an Egg".

I love eggs. I love 'em scrambled or poached but over easy is my favorite. A good sweet potato hash for breakfast is one of our favorite breakfasts and is best served with two eggs over easy on top. I usually only make two eggs at a time because there isn't enough room in the pan to juggle four and almost always the whites are slightly undercooked or the yolks are overdone.

As I said, I love eggs, so I read the article. Now, I am pushing close to 50 and I can't believe this late in my life I have just now learned the proper way to fry an egg. We have had eggs for breakfast every morning for the last four days (not normal for us) just so I can prove to myself it works. Four perfect fried eggs four mornings in a row.

For all those fried egg lovers out there.

1. Heat oil in 12 - 14 inch nonstick skillet over low heat for 5 min. Meanwhile, crack 2 eggs into a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining two eggs in another seperate small bowl.

2. Increase heat to medium-high and heat until oil is shimmering. Add 1tsp butter to skillet and quickly swirl to coat pan. Working quickly, pour 1 bowl of eggs into half the pan and the second bowl to the other side. Cover and cook for one minute. Remove skillet from burner and let stand covered for 15 - 45 seconds for smooth, over easy yolk and 45 - 60 sec for a soft set yolk.

Slide eggs onto plate and serve.

It all makes sense. Put the eggs in together rather than cracking them individually into the pan. Duh! Of course, they will not cook the same. No more flipping or breaking of yolks, the cover flash steams the egg and makes the yolk creamy instead of runny and best of all it has that great crispy edge that makes it the perfect fried egg.
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Old 02-14-2014, 08:48 PM   #2
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We also love eggs and a favorite breakfast is 3 eggs. For me, that's just 3 eggs and an orange or half a grapefruit. For David, that's 3 eggs, the fruit, and some toast or another carb.

Because I grew up on a farm where we collected our own eggs each morning, my own training was always to break an egg into a cup or small bowl, look at it and then put it in the pot/pan/bowl/whatever. My mother also taught me to fry the perfect over easy egg just as you stated. Must have had the same recipe book as your house host. On the boat, our little frypan is perfect for 3 eggs not 4. I have to go to the big one for more eggs and it can handle all 6. I still break the eggs into a cup but if I have no reason to suspect egg condition, I'll break the 3 into a bowl together and then fry covered in the hot pan just as you describe.
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Old 02-22-2014, 01:07 PM   #3
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Never mind about how you fry them, - just make sure you break the shells up well before disposing of them - that way the witches can't use the eggshells as boats, set sail in them and sink the sailors at sea!
- and before you write me off as a total nutcase - I learnt this at a very early age from my mum, and I still (50+ years later), make sure I never put eggshells in the bin without crushing them to smithereens.
I have no idea where the story comes from, but gt gt grandfather was a seafarer aboard sailing ships of the 1800's, so I suspect some 'old sailors tale' from the days of old.
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Old 02-22-2014, 02:57 PM   #4
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From Charles Leland 'Gypsy Sorcerer', published in 1891...
"You must break the shells to bits for fear
Lest the witches should make it a boat my dear.
For over the sea away from home,
Far by night the withes roam."
Then the girl said, "I don't see why the witches should not have boats as well as other people." And saying this she threw the shell of an egg which she had been eating as far as she could, and cried, "Witch, there is your boat!" But what was her amazement to see the shell caught up by the wind and whirled away on high till it became invisible, while a voice cried, "I thank you!"
Now it came to pass some time after that the gypsy girl was on an island, where she remained some days. And when she wished to return, behold a great flood was rising, and it had washed her boat away, she could see nothing of it. But the water kept getting higher and higher, and soon there was only a little bit of the island above the flood, and the girl thought she must drown. Just then she saw a white boat coming; there sat in it a woman with witch eyes; she was rowing with a broom, and a black cat sat on her shoulder. "Jump in!" she cried to the girl, and then rowed her to the firm land.
When she was on the shore the woman said: "Turn around three times to the right and look every time at the boat." She did so, and every time she looked she saw the boat grow smaller till it was an egg. Then the woman sang:-
"That is the shell you threw to me,
Even a witch can grateful be."
Saying this she vanished, cat, broom, shell, and all.
"Now my story is fairly done,
I beg you tell a better one."
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Old 02-23-2014, 02:20 PM   #5
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Wonderful Auzzee!! I have never come across that before, how interesting - I shall have to follow this up.
Having now spoken to my mum, she says that the family tradition of crushing the eggshells actually came from my dad, and possibly from an old sailing chum of his.. and where he got it from.. who knows.
Ok, back to the frying all of you...
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Old 02-23-2014, 07:52 PM   #6
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My grandma got upset if we didn't smash up the egg shells and said something about bad luck. Maybe it was this story she was thinking about. I just thought it was because grandpa put the egg shells with other stuff tilled into the garden soil.
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Old 02-24-2014, 01:07 AM   #7
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Here in America, there's a story that the Irish crushed the shells to keep the goodluck fairies from returning to Ireland. Link to story

Another great way to prepare a over-easy egg is to follow Mate1868 instruction but break the egg into a Bell pepper ring. Garnish with fresh or dried herbs. Photo below by Gloria Cabada-Leman (hosted by Flickr and used under creative commons license)
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Old 02-24-2014, 02:03 AM   #8
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That's nifty!
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Old 02-24-2014, 04:47 AM   #9
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yum, I'm going to try that now, I was wondering what to have for dinner and I have eggs that need using up.
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Old 02-24-2014, 02:13 PM   #10
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I like to eat a hole in slices of bread and then crack the eggs into them. Sort of an ad-hoc egg ring. :-)

Those bell pepper rings do look yummy.
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Old 02-24-2014, 08:37 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by haiqu View Post
I like to eat a hole in slices of bread and then crack the eggs into them. Sort of an ad-hoc egg ring. :-)

Those bell pepper rings do look yummy.

I like this as well - we call it "Toad in the Hole" although I've no idea why..

You can also cook eggs in a slice of onion...
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Old 02-25-2014, 08:29 PM   #12
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Toad in the Hole is normally sausages cooked in Yorkshire pudding batter, and served with veggies and gravy.

Onion rings! Why didn't I think of that.
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Old 02-25-2014, 09:59 PM   #13
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Quote:
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Toad in the Hole is normally sausages cooked in Yorkshire pudding batter....

Interesting. Sounds yummy! Maybe this North American anomaly? At any rate, it make a nice portable hand hand sandwich. Bread and egg in one neat package that requires no plate or cutlery
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Old 02-26-2014, 02:08 AM   #14
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Oh, the onion ones look good--looks like you have to pre-cook it (since it has a browned ring on the top...) a bit. Yumm...
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Old 02-26-2014, 03:52 PM   #15
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Quote:
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Oh, the onion ones look good--looks like you have to pre-cook it (since it has a browned ring on the top...) a bit. Yumm...
Yes, a little precooking is needed, especially with some stronger varieties of onion. Eggs don't take very long to cook and without the precook, the onions would essentially be raw. Just sizzle them in the pan for a few minutes before cracking egg into the ring.
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Old 02-27-2014, 01:43 AM   #16
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I'm definitely going to try that. :-)
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Old 03-01-2014, 02:03 AM   #17
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Perhaps this one belongs under the title "There's always got to be one......".
But:
Fried chopped onion, bacon and mushroom. Stuffed half a pepper (we call them capsicums in Oz), Then fried the lot on the bottom, cracked in an egg, dusted with chilli powder, black pepper and salt, then put them under the griller. Final 30 seconds under the grill was after a quick coating of parmesan cheese and Italian herbs. Served with toast and grated parmesan and a little left over rice. Verdict: Bloody wonderful!!
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Old 03-01-2014, 01:07 PM   #18
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Ok Auzzee, if we are going down this route.. try this one, - a standard dish here in southern Spain..
Fry together some onion, garlic, ham (spanish serrano ham if possible) sliced chorizo sausage (or other spicy sausage). Then add some roughly chopped tomatoes, and some peas. Season to taste and cover and let that lot stew for about 10 min. Remove cover, and make 'wells' in the mixture, and crack an egg into each 'well'. Cover and cook until the whites are set. Serve immediately so that the 'diners' can stir the still cooking yolks into the vegetable mixture. Serve with crusty bread (or toast)
Variations around Spain contain green beans, or broad beans (habas).
Enjoy!
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Old 03-01-2014, 11:19 PM   #19
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Sounds like my type of tucker.
And I'm trying to lose weight......
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Old 03-02-2014, 05:37 PM   #20
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You guys are getting into the exotics! The perfect "egg" gets lost in all that stuff I'm athinkin'
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