Maybe you’re thinking… really?? Honestly, though, I’ve cooked and eaten so many “dippy eggs” (or maybe you call them “eggs over easy”) in my lifetime that I could probably make them in my sleep. It’s Tessa’s favorite “breakfast for dinner”, and what I make for Rich when dinner’s an afterthought. I am an egg expert due to my summers as an Uncle Bill’s Pancake House waitress. “Fried eggs” can be sunny-side-up, over-easy, over-medium or over-hard. To be correct, “sunny side up” is when an egg yolk is completely runny and the top of the white is a bit wet. Over easy is when an egg is flipped so that the white gets set, but the yolk is still totally runny. Over medium has a semi-cooked yolk, and over-hard is a cooked yolk.
Runny yolk is fantastic. It’s like the best sauce that no one can replicate. It’s nature’s “special sauce”. The best over-easy egg needs to have a completely runny yolk and that’s what I work towards every time (runny yolk with totally cooked white). I don’t like to flip my eggs and risk a break, so I make them how my mom did when I was growing up. Essentially you’re steaming the top with a bit of water. See below for details.
Obviously eggs are a great breakfast but I’ll put fried eggs on grain pilafs like here (one of my faves) or over a bed of sauteed greens. At 70 calories and 6 grams of protein it’s the perfect topper.
How to Fry an Egg
Cooking spray
1 egg
Salt and Pepper
2-3 tbsp. water
Nonstick pan with a lid
1. Heat pan over medium high heat, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Crack egg into pan. Let cook until white is semi-set. Sprinkle egg with salt and pepper.
3. Add water to pan and cover with lid. Let cook about 30 seconds or until, when you jiggle the pan, the white is completely set.
*To cook the egg medium well, leave lid on and add a bit more water – add another 30 seconds.
Yum! I also love the slightly runny egg yolks on a burger or on top of a stir fry! Thanks for the tips!
Heather – so glad! And OmG i’m so with you for the burger!!!
I love some over easy eggs with some asparagus and toast with some raspberry jam! I’ve never thought of water though, I will have to try that!
Hey Ashley – so funny you say that. I just had a lunch of poached eggs over broiled asparagus with parmesan cheese. It was divine! Eggs and asparagus must just go together 🙂
It is actually called basting the egg
Thanks Kelley!
I have ordered my fair share of eggs in my life, but every time I order an over easy egg or sunny side up egg I ALWAYS get a plate with eggs that still have snot on them (which is what I call eggs that aren’t quite done because there is a ring of clear goo around the yolk that looks like snot and makes me gag to look at much less to eat) so I just end up ordering over medium eggs to make sure they are cooked all the way.way . I love all the yolk I can get because I think it is a great sauce too. I’m going to try your method of cooking eggs because I hate to flip my eggs as well. In the meantime, could you go around to all of the famous chain breakfast restaurants and teach them how to properly fry an egg so it is both done and how the customer orders it? I’m always afraid to send my food back because I’m afraid they’ll spit in it so that’s why I end up having to order over medium eggs, but if you teach them the proper way to cook then I can go back to over easy eggs. Thanks ;D
Haha I’m with you! Give it a try – I love it this way! All wet yolk, all dry white!