Cooking Eggs

[SubwayScriptures]

Does anyone have a good tip for me about cooking eggs/omlettes? I can cook eggs just fine on their own, but i have trouble when i try and keep eggs from falling apart (ex. sunny side up).

Any suggestions in terms of how high to turn up the heat or sprays or technique? Thanks!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

A great way to make "the perfect Fried egg" is to steam it. That is, put the pan over medium heat. Add a tbs. of butter. When the butter is melted, Gently crack the egg/s into the pan. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook until the egg white is set about half way. Add three tbs. of water and cover with a glass lid. Cook an aditional 30 seconds or so to completely set the egg white. There should be a pink membrane on the egg yolk. Gently slide a lightly oild egg-turner under the cooked egg and trasfer it to the plate.

Another way to cook an egg is by basting with hot grease. Fry two to three strips of bacon in your pan. When done, break the eggs into the hot grease. Turn down the temperature to medium-low. *** the egg cooks, gently splash hot grease from the pan over the entire egg. Continue until the egg-white is completely set. And remember, the bacon fat has less cholesterol than does an equal amount of butter. But I always blot up the extra grease from the egg with a paper towel after transferring to the plate.

Method 3: Heat non-stick or well seasoned cast iron pan to medium heat. Add a bit of butter and the egg/s. Lightly season. Cook until the white is set all the way through. Gently work the egg-turner under the egg and flip it. Cook for 20 seconds more and flip onto the plate.

Omelets can be tricky. Pan temperature is all important. This is where I always use my best cast iron or non-stick with sloping sides. Bring the pan up to a medium low temperature. Have all omelet ingredients prepared and pre-cooked before you start making the omelete. Break two large or extra large eggs into a bowl. Add salt and pepper to the eggs along with three tbs. milk. Whip with a balloon whisk until the eggs are completely blended together. Pour into the buttered pan. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 minute. Remove the lid and check to see if the omelet is set through. If so, then using the pan, flip the entire omelete onto a plate. Slide it from the plate back into the pan. Cover one side with the filling ingredients. Work your egg-turner gently under the naked side and fold it over the side with the ingredients. Carefully slide the omelete from the pan to the plate. Microwave for 20 seconds to melt any cheese and heat the filling. There are other ways to make an omelete that work equally well. But for a beginner, this is a fairly simple method.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Wyogal]

That's how I make my eggs, the first two ways. When I worked at the Holiday Inn last year, I was at the omelette station where we made American style omelettes: heat your pan, put in butter. Then the "fillings" like onion, peppers, mushrooms, etc. Saute. Add eggs, let the bottom set, lifting the edges to let the uncooked egg run underneath. When mostly set, flip (tossing in the air). Let bottom set, adding cheese, then fold and slide on the plate.

 

[Constance]

My mom made eggs the first way, DH makes them the second, and my ex liked them easy over, which I find the most difficult. But then, he liked being difficult.
I like your method for the American omelet, Wyogal.

 

[Selkie]

For "over medium" type of eggs - well greased medium hot grill surface, cover with an old aluminum pot lid and then wait until the white is nearly cooked through and carefully break it loose from the grill surface all of the way around while using a thin spatula, then carefully (but not slowly) flip using a wrist-rolling action.

 

[Wyogal]

We had to do over easy eggs in cooking school, without the use of a spatula. It didn't help that some of the students grabbed two skillets, and wouldn't share. I had to use a big skillet for two eggs. Needless to say, it didn't work so well. Of course, the instructor was no help, continued to let the students hog pans. I couldn't say anything about it because I was an older student and everything I said was scrutinized and criticized. I even got reprimanded for telling my cooking partner to quit running in the kitchen (really no need to do that, we weren't on a cooking show with only 30 minutes to prepare a feast for 300, for cryin' out loud!)
So, make sure the pan you are using is of the appropriate size.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

If your pan has sloping sides, practice flipping foods without a spatula. But make sure the foods are easy to work with such as diced potatoes and sliced celery and onion for instance. Make sure your pan is greased properly before doing this. If using statinless steel, get the dry pan hot before adding any cooking oil, or lard, butter, whatever. Then add the fat, then the food. To flip, lift the pan from the burner and move it forward, away from your body. then quickly lift the pan upward while pulling slightly back, as if you were trying to use the pan to throw the food back toward you. This will in fact through the food a couple inches up and back. It doesn't take a lot of practice to get it down. At least, it came easy to me. When you are comfortable with the technique, you can use the same motion to flip an egg. You just have to use a bit more force (just a little more) to get the entire egg to flip in one piece. I turn eggs now all the time that way. It's fast and reduces the chance of breaking the egg. And once you master the skill, you will be able to use it with many foods, no an omelet though.

And Wyogal, thanks for mentioning that you lift the edges to let excess uncooked egg flow under the cooked egg part. I forgot about that technique. That's how my wife likes her omelets done, but withouth the filling cooked into the egg, but placed on top.

Personally, if I have a large cooking pan available, I prefer to gently cook the omelet, with a lid on until almost completely set, over low heat. Place the filling in the middle, from one edge to the other, escpecially the cheese so it has time to melt, and fold boith sides over the middle. Then just pick up and slide onto the plate.

I hope this helps as well.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Wyogal]

and to melt the cheese on top of an egg, scrambled, but cooked for a sandwich so not much stirring, I put the slice of cheese on it, a bit of water, and put the lid on it. The steam perfectly melts the cheese. My husband used to go to Micky D's almost every morning, now we make flaky biscuits and sausage patties on Sunday night, then just make the egg in the morning. He zaps the sausage in the micro. easy peasy b'fast. I freeze half of the biscuits for later in the week, so they don't get stale.

 

[SubwayScriptures]

Great tips from everyone.

Goodweed - I'll definitely try making those fried eggs. Never though about adding water before.

Wyogal - I've seen omlettes being made exactly as you described at omelette bars, but never new the exact steps they were taking to make the eggs. I'll give it a shot. I've tried flipping eggs before (not half bad, actually) but i like the idea of raising the edges to cook the eggs all the way thru.

Thanks!

 

[SubwayScriptures]

Oh, also. Anything you guys like to add to make your eggs perfect?

I've been making egg whites with tabasco sauce, basil, black pepper and sometimes cheese. Anyone else?