What's the best cooking oil (or butter) to make good fried eggs over medium (yolk runny, white cooked). Recently I've been trying to flip the eggs and it doesn't work and they stick, so I end up with scrambled eggs. Is there a better pan with a better cooking surface? I believe I am using Teflon.
By Mike Urciolo from Germantown, MD
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It's not the cooking oil or butter that is making the eggs to stick to the pan. It's the teflon pan itself. You would be better off using a stainless steel frying pan. But make sure that the heat on your stove is not too high or the eggs will stick and burn. It's just a matter of practice.
I haven't used anything but teflon coated pans for more than 20 years and have never had a problem. The first teflon that I used was when it first came out, then I switched to T-Fal, and a couple years ago I bought a set of Paula Deen cookware.
I generally use bacon fat or a vegetable oil (canola, palm, soy, grapeseed, olive etc.)
Instead of flipping my eggs, I spoon some of the hot oil over the top of the egg, which cooks the imblumen perfectly without breaking the yolk.
I always use a teflon pan, BUT, I still use cooking spray each and every time. I also find that if I add a tablespoon or so of water to the pan once the eggs start cooking, it seems to help the whites set up, without making them get too crispy around the edges.
I like my eggs over easy, too. I use my trusty, well-seasoned, old cast iron skillet. I melt a little Smart Balance in the skillet first, then cook my egg. Since my skillet is well-seasoned, I don't have a problem with sticking when I flip. And I never have to worry about cooking at too high a temperature and damaging a teflon coating. I also have an old set of Calphalon hard-anodized cookware from back before they started putting coatings on everything. I use my frying pan from that set for omelettes because the sloped sides allow me to slide the omelette from the pan (no flipping). Again, all I have to do is melt a little Smart Balance in the pan, and nothing sticks.
Okay, let's start with the heat setting! Medium-low. Preheat the pan.
Add enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan. When it's melted, add your egg(s), keep them separated if you're not good at flipping two eggs at a time.
After the eggs are cooked to your liking on the bottom, with a sharp-edged spatula (and this can be a plastic one, but has to have a good edge), loosen around the white's edges. Quickly (and with conviction!) slide the spatula under the yolk. Turn over nice and easy! Repeat with other egg.
When you feel they are cooked to your liking on the second side, do the same thing (loosen the whites, quickly slide the spatula under the yolk) and turn over onto a plate.
Now here's an even easier way, and you don't have to flip them at all! Once you crack the eggs into the prepared pan (and they can be touching), add your salt and pepper and get a well-fitting lid (to keep the steam in). Put a tablespoon or so of water in the pan next to the eggs and slap the lid on. Check the whites by removing the lid and shaking the pan a little to see if they're still jiggly. If so, put the lid back on a cook a little longer. So easy, a caveman could do it!
I agree with most of the above but will add my method. I use a cast iron skillet and always olive oil. Heat the skillet on medium heat for a few minutes, then turn to low and then put eggs in pan.
You have a lot of good suggestions here on how to cook your eggs. I agree, it's not the cooking oil causing the problem. I use non-stick pans & cooking spray to cook my over-easy eggs, but I've also used stainless steel with spray or cast iron & oil. A thin, sharp-edged cooking spatula as suggested, those thick ones won't slide under the egg without tearing them up.
You need to practice. It may not be easy at 1st & you'll get some messed up eggs, but with practice it gets easier.
I wait till the whites are set, then flip mine over & count to 5, then flip them back over for over-easy. The way I was taught to do it was to put enough oil in the pan to practicaly cover the egg, then use the spatula to gently splash oil over the egg, which cooks the top. I don't like my eggs swimming in grease though, so I don't cook them that way. Never thought of using water to steam the top, may have to try that!
My mother gave me a 6" cast iron frying pan. It's the first pan I've been able to fry eggs in. It is well seasoned so nothing sticks. I Put 2 eggs in the pan and cook until the first side is done.
1) A good Teflon pan that will hold 2 eggs 2) Butter 3) Try Basted
Cook 2 eggs at a time: When you cook them, before you flip them swirl them in the pan to make sure they're loose. If they don't move, add more butter. A nice/easy way to cook them is basting. Start just like you were going to fry over easy eggs. As the egg cooks (just before flipping stage), add an 1/8th Cup of water to the pan and cover it tight, so the steam cooks the top of the egg. A thin film of egg white will cover the yolk which should remain liquid. Traditionally, this is done by spooning hot fat (such as bacon fat) over the egg as it fries but my husband learned the water method when he worked in a diner as a teenager. Works great every time!
From the original poster: Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. The one thing I have gotten away from is bacon grease, not a particularly healthy way to prepare fried eggs (I love bacon grease, but need to avoid it).
In the past, I used have had no problem with over medium whether I used butter or great. I think that the pain may not be hot enough and the pan may be finished as an egg fryer.
Again, thank you all.
You need to see if there are scratches in your pan. If there are throw it away and get another one or a cast iron pan. If there aren't scratches then use a thin rubber spat and loosen the egg edges then flip or swirl the eggs to loosen them and flip.
HTH,
Dahart
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