Frying Eggs
A frying pan, a saute pan (omelet pan), or even a griddle can be used to fry eggs. Cast iron pans work best for eggs if they are primed or seasoned. To accomplish this, a clean frying pan is rubbed with a thin layer of vegetable oil, set on moderate heat, which is then briefly increased to high. Then it is removed from the heat and allowed to cool. Washing the frying pan with soap, or cooking anything but eggs in it, removes the primed surface. Nonstick pans do not need to be primed or seasoned. Frying is used to prepare fried and scrambled eggs and omelets.
Fried Eggs. For each fried egg, about 1 teaspoon or less of butter, margarine, or oil is added to a hot pan. Clarified butter can also be used; it will not burn like regular butter. To cut down on fat, a bit of fat may be spread on the pan’s surface with a paper towel or waxed paper, or a vegetable spray may be applied to its surface before heating. Too little fat causes sticking, but excessive fat will result in greasy eggs. The fat should be hot enough to prevent the eggs from running, but not so hot that it toughens the egg proteins. The temperature is just right when a drop of water dropped into a hot pan sizzles instead of either rolling around or instantly vaporizing into the air.
Yolks are less likely to break open when the eggs are cracked if the eggs are allowed to warm very briefly in a bowl of hot water. Broken yolks can also be avoided by using fresh eggs and/or by first placing the eggs into a bowl or other container rather than dropping them directly from the shell into a frying pan or griddle. Then, once the pan and the fat have been heated to the right stage, the eggs should be slid from the bowl, no more than two at a time, onto the pan or griddle. The heat should be lowered immediately to medium-high. Coagulation is then allowed to occur according to the following “cook-to-order” stages:
- Sunny side up. The egg is cooked until the white is set and the yolk is still soft. The egg is not flipped. Sunny side up eggs may not be sufficiently cooked to eliminate bacteria, and thus are not allowed by some state health departments to be served to the public. Covering the pan with a lid during cooking gives the yolk a rather opaque appearance, but eliminates any risk of an undercooked egg.
- Over easy. The eggs are flipped over when the whites are 75 percent set. Cooking continues until the white are completely cooked but the yolks are still soft.
- Over medium. The same as over easy, except that the yolks are partially set.
- Over hard. The same as over easy, except that the yolks are completely set.
Scrambled Eggs. Scrambled eggs are beaten while raw until well blended and may be seasoned with salt and pepper or other seasonings. Liquid in the form of milk, cream, or water may be added to impart more body and/or flavor and a soft, creamy texture. The added liquid, a tablespoon or less for each egg, creates steam during cooking, which lifts the eggs and makes them lighter and fluffier. Too much liquid makes the eggs watery and forms small, tough, curdlike masses.
The beaten egg mixture is poured onto a heated surface, the heat is reduced, and the eggs are gently stirred as soon as they begin to coagulate. Too much stirring will break the egg into too many smaller pieces, so it is better to lift the cooked egg repeatedly with a spatula so the undercooked portions may slide underneath rather than literally to stir them. Scrambled eggs are finished cooking when they are set, yet still soft and moist. Like most egg dishes, they are best when served imemediately.
Omelets. When eggs are beaten, cooked, and rolled into a cigar shape or folded into a flat half circle, the resulting dish is called an omelet. Both plain (French or American-style) and puffy (fluffy) omelets can be prepared with or without fillings
Plain omelets consist of whole egs, beaten, seasoned as desired, and poured into a prepared pan heated to medium-high. Once the mixture is in the pan, the heat is lowered to medium, and the mixture is not stirred. Uncooked portions are allowed to cook by lifting just the edges of the omelet with a spatula so the runny mixture flows underneath. When the top is firm, the omelet can be folded in half, rolled and folded over itself, or rolled and slid onto a dish. If fillings are to be added, they are place on top of the omelet just before it is folded. A classic French rolled omelet is filled after rolling by making an incision down the length of the cooked omelet and adding the filling.
The fluffiness of puffy omelets is achieved by separating the yolks from the whites and whipping each portion separately. Seasonings and liquid, if added, are incorporated into the whipped yolks. The egg whites are whipped until stiff but not dry and then gently folded into the yolks. This mixture is poured into a preheated omelet pan or suitable frying pan with sloping sides, and the heat is reduced to medium. When the omelet is in 350oF (177oC) oven for five to ten minutes to allow additional rising and further coagulation of the surface proteins. The omelet is finished cooking when the top springs back from a gentle touch of the finger.
