What another way to start up your day than with a perfectly fried over medium egg over crispy bacon on a buttery toast? Yet, I have a love-hate relationship with getting the eggs fried exactly the way I want it. So, I did my research and finally figured out the hack to nail perfect over-medium eggs, every time. And today I’m sharing my personal cheat-sheet with you!
Over Medium Eggs: What You Will Need
Fresh eggs. I can’t stress this enough, use fresh eggs. They taste way better and they’re easier to cook too. If you’re not sure about the freshness of the eggs, do the float test. Put them one by one in a glass of water and if they sink, it means they’re fresh.
Use a nonstick pan. If you don’t have a nonstick skillet, you can also use cast iron or carbon steel skillets. They make delicate tasks such as moving the eggs around and flipping it over, effortless.
Invest in a nonstick spatula. They are a little pricier as spatulas come, but I promise you it’s worth it. Can you imagine having a beautifully fried egg ruined because it got stuck on the spatula? I can, it happened to me countless times. I found out the best one to use is a flexible silicone spatula. They are nonstick and have beveled edges making it easy to slide under eggs and slide them over to your plate.
Oil it up. The best ones to use are butter, olive oil, and bacon fat. For butter, use at least 1 tablespoon for each egg. If you want to kick it up 10 notches, use bacon fat. But if you want a healthier option, use olive oil instead. Whichever you decide to use, make sure it covers the entire bottom of the pan.
The Four Kinds of Fried Eggs:
Sunnyside up – Fry the egg on only one side. The whites are set while the yolk is still runny.
Over easy – Fry the egg on both sides only for a few seconds. The whites are fully set while keeping the yolk runny.
Over medium – Fry the egg for 1-3 minutes on both sides. The whites are also fully set, and the yolk is still a little runny.
Over hard – Fry the egg for 2-4 minutes on both sides. Both the whites and the yolk are completely cooked.
And now, on to the hack to make the perfect over-medium eggs! It will involve a few extra steps, but the result is worth it.
1. Start off by preheating your pan on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.
2. Then, put your nonstick pan and melt your butter or heat up the oil. Again, make sure it covers the whole bottom of the pan to keep the egg from sticking to it.
3. Crack the egg into a bowl or ramekin. This is to make sure there will be no tiny shells going with your fried egg.
4. Pour the egg as close to the pan as possible. This helps you control the form of the egg. It also keeps you from getting splattered by fat.
5. Let it cook for 3 minutes on one side or until the whites are set.
Now, there are two ways to cook the other side of the egg to make it over medium:
- If you’re confident with your egg flipping skills, slide the spatula under the sides of the egg to loosen it up. Make sure that the spatula is supporting the yolk, then flip it to the other side and let it cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- If you don’t want to risk breaking the yolk, try this no-flip option. Pour ½ tablespoon of water around the egg then cover the pan. Let it cook for another 1-2 minutes.
6. Once the yolk is slightly set, turn off the heat. Let the egg rest on the pan for another minute before you transfer it to your plate or sandwich.
7. Season with salt and pepper, as you prefer.
See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? 😉 It takes a little bit of practice, but the result is tastefully and visually satisfying. Follow these easy steps, and I guarantee you’ll have perfect over-medium eggs every single time. 😊
