Eggs-periment V 2.0 and an included breakfast recipe

[Major Nikon]

So my last egg experiment with sub-boiling immersion cooking was a bit too complicated and had too many steps. This next one is actually quite simple and involves probably the exact same method you've used for cooking eggs for hundreds of times, but just changing the time and temperature variables.

Most every adult American knows how to fry an egg. Heat up a pan with some oil or fat and crack an egg into it. Turning is optional as is seasoning. Remove from heat when slightly undercooked to your liking and let residual heat do the rest. Depending on cooking temperature it only takes about 2-3 minutes, if that depending on how done you want your eggs.

Now consider what would happen if you didn't preheat the pan and you kept the cooking temperatures very low for a much longer period of time. Egg whites develop a rubbery texture if you go much above about 190F. If you keep the cooking temperature of the egg below this, you get a very different texture to the whites.

I use a 8" non-stick aluminum pan for this. I very lightly butter the pan. By very lightly I mean going over with a paper towel and just getting the pan covered as lightly as possible. I use butter because I think it works the best. You can use any oil or fat you like, even low temp oils with subtle flavors will work fine. Put the pan on the burner, put two eggs in the pan, and set your burner to either the lowest setting you have, or one notch above it depending on how low your stove can go. Don't touch anything. The egg is done when the whites or the yolk reach the doneness level you want. I shoot for a 15 minute cook time. If it takes longer or shorter than this I make temperature adjustments the next time around accordingly. The eggs will tend to stick a little depending on how good your non-stick pans are, so you have to be a little patient easing them out of the pan if you want to keep them intact.

What you wind up with somewhat resembles a sunny side up fried egg, but this cooking method is not frying, so taste and texture-wise this is not the same thing. For seasoning I like to use salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to taste and serve with toasted rye bread and sliced tomatoes and a cup of plain yogurt topped with a bit of fresh fruit.

[NYC_SKP]

1. For those who like a runny yolk, does this method work?

Or does some of the yolk necessarily become hard?

Also, I often use a lid to get help the tops cook a little warmer, have you tried this?

[Major Nikon]

2. The yolks will always be at a lower temperature than the whites

So yes, this method is ideal for runny yolks. You just cook the eggs until the whites are to your liking and the yolks will always be less done. If you like hard yolks I would recommend piercing the yolk a time or two with a fork after you put them in the pan.

As far as a lid goes my guess is if you did this it would tend to cook the eggs more evenly so you could get the yolk more firm relative to the whites that way and it would probably decrease the cooking time as well. I like runny yolks so I just never have tried it.

[NYC_SKP]

3. I'm a runny yolk guy, like you, so will follow your advice.

I just got some free range eggs and I'm getting hungry!

[Major Nikon]

4. There are lots of seasoning options

I generally don't season fried eggs beyond salt and pepper. With these eggs there's no browning, which is a big flavor component in the case of fried eggs. Instead these eggs are more suited towards a bit more elaborate seasonings. A bit of cayenne instead of black pepper is nice. They take curry quite well also.