Fried Eggs

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Eggs > Egg Cooking Guide > Fried Eggs

Method One: Traditional Frying Methods | Method Two: Egg Ring Frying Method

Frying is a cooking method that is convenient, fast, and easy to do. Whether eggs are cooked "sunny side up" or "over hard," frying is, perhaps, the most popular method for cooking eggs.

Method One: Traditional Frying Methods

>Begin the frying process by heating butter or cooking fat in a skillet or sautÃ© pan over medium heat.
When the butter or cooking fat is ready, simply crack and release whole eggs into the pan.
The eggs should be opened as close to the bottom of the pan as possible so that they maintain a pleasing shape and do not spread out too much.
Cook the eggs until the whites are firm and the yolk is runny or firm, depending on how the yolks are desired. The eggs generally require only a minute or two of total cooking time.
There are several methods used for finishing the eggs: The eggs can be left unturned and can be basted with the hot fat. A few drops of water can be added, and the pan can be covered to steam cook the eggs. Once the egg whites are firm, the eggs can be finished by carefully turning them over using a spatula.
Once the eggs have been turned, they can be cooked until the yolks reach the desired doneness: Over easy (runny yolk) Over medium (soft yolk) Over hard (firm yolk).

Method Two: Egg Ring Frying Method

An egg ring is about three inches in diameter and is used to contain the egg in a perfectly round shape while it cooks. The rings also keep the egg from spreading in the pan so that more eggs can be cooked in the pan at the same time. Most egg rings are constructed of stainless steel and some have attached handles that allow the rings to be lifted easily from the pan.

Cooking Eggs Sunny-side-up using Egg Rings

Lightly grease the inside of the egg rings with butter or oil.
Heat one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet; then place the greased rings into the pan.
For eggs cooked sunny-side-up, crack an egg into a small bowl. If more than one egg will be cooked at a time, it is helpful to use a separate small bowl for each egg so that the eggs can be placed into the individual rings at approximately the same time. Omit using a bowl if you are confident of your egg-cracking ability and you are able to work quickly.
Pour the eggs from each bowl into the egg rings or crack the eggs directly into each egg ring in the pan.
Cook the eggs to the desired doneness, usually three to five minutes. This is a longer cooking time than what is usually required for eggs that are cooked sunny-side-up, but since the egg rings do not allow the eggs to spread out in the pan, the extra thickness requires more cooking time. Keep in mind that the longer the egg is cooked, the browner the bottom of the egg will become. Also, the first egg placed in the pan will be the first one done. When the eggs have cooked to the desired doneness, remove the rings with an oven mitt or tongs; then serve the eggs.

Cooking Scrambled Eggs using Egg Rings

The egg ring method also works well for scrambling eggs. Simply beat an egg lightly in a small bowl and pour it into the egg ring; then cook the egg until set.
The egg ring will be very hot, so make sure to remove it using an oven mitt or tongs.
Flip the egg and cook the other side to the desired doneness. Because of the round shape and the thickness of the egg, this type of scrambled egg is perfect for a breakfast sandwich made with an English muffin.