Cooking eggs sounds easy, but it can actually be rather tricky in practice. Sure, scrambled
eggs are simple enough if you know what you're doing.... but sunny-side up eggs? Now that's
a different story. These guys require a little more skill and finesse, but it's not like
you need supernatural powers to make them.
“(eggs cracking)”
For one thing, you have to make sure your eggs are fully cooked, but don't let them
get rubbery or burnt. You want your yolk to achieve that perfect balance – a little
jiggly, but ultimately solid. Ideally, the yolk will break when it's punctured with a
fork, but not before. This isn't the easiest thing to pull off!
Plenty of factors can ruin your eggs. Maybe you're in a rush. Maybe your pan is too hot.
Or maybe you don't have the right touch with that spatula! Whatever the case, don't worry:
This genius hack from chef and cookbook author Julia Turshen will have you whipping up perfectly
sunny-side up eggs in no time.
"My kind of like dirty secret is I write recipes for a living. I love writing recipes. I never
follow them."
According to Turshen, the secret to flawless sunny-side up eggs isn't exactly a technique.
Rather, it's all about the ingredients. It all boils down to one ingredient you might
not even be adding to your eggs: water. In between coating a pan with oil or butter and
cracking your eggs into that pan, Turshen recommends tossing in a sprinkle or two of
water. A Kitchn writer tested out this technique and found that it works surprisingly well.
It's so simple, too: Simply add a few drops of water to the pan before adding your eggs,
cover the pan with a lid, and presto! Perfectly cooked sunny-side up eggs in minutes. That's
it. That's the simple trick.
The method is known as steam-basting. By adding water to your pan and trapping in the steam
with a lid, you cook the tops of the eggs without having to flip them. Of course, this
thoroughly minimizes the chance of breaking the yolk before serving, which is something
you don't want. You can also flick some water on your eggs at the end of the cooking process.
This keeps the eggs moist and prevents them from drying out. Do this 20 to 30 seconds
before removing the pan from the heat...and make sure you cover the eggs again after spritzing
on the water.
And guess what? If you want to get a little edgier, try putting a few ice cubes in the
pan. You'll find this creates the same steaming effect as water. Before adding your eggs,
simply toss the ice cubes into the pan on top of your oil or butter, and you'll soon
have some delicious and beautiful eggs to devour. Oh, and you don't need to wait for
the ice to melt! Just cover the pan and watch the evaporating ice steam up the glass, thus
basting the eggs. As Lifehacker explains, ice may be slightly more effective than water.
That's because it's slower to dissolve and it won't spit.
There is one potential drawback to this method. You might not get an Instagram-worthy yolk.
According to the Washington Post,
"This [technique] works well to cook the egg all of the way through while keeping it soft,
but it also causes the yolk to film over, hiding its beautiful glow."
Here's our advice: Cook the eggs low and slow. Adding water to the pan isn't the only way
to ensure you get perfectly cooked sunny-side up eggs. You also have to pay attention to
just how hot your pan gets, and keep track of how long you've left your eggs in the pan.
The blogger behind Love and Lemons agrees that "low and slow" is indeed the way to go
here. That's because it leaves your whites fully cooked while the yolk is still runny.
By being patient and letting your eggs cook slowly, you'll avoid burning the egg whites
or drying out the yolks. You don't have to wait too long, either. According to Cooking
Light, this should only take three to five minutes.
If you're worried that your pan is getting too hot, just check to see if oil is starting
to spit and sizzle. If this happens, turn the heat down or take the pan off the stove
for a few minutes before adding in your eggs. Cracking eggs into a pan that's too hot can
ruin your sunny-side up eggs... as can letting the oil get to a boiling temperature. Keep
these simple rules in mind and you'll wind up with sunny-side eggs that simply rule.
And that's that.
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