How to make perfect sunny-side up eggs

Over-easy or sunny-side up? As far as I’m concerned there’s only one answer to that question: Sunny-side, obviously! It wasn’t always the case though. For the longest time, I preferred my fried eggs over-easy and hard with a texture somewhere between a hockey puck and a sponge. Fortunately, over time I have seen the error of my ways and now enjoy a perfectly soft sunny-side up egg.

As enjoyable as sunny-side up eggs are to eat, in my experience, they’re bit of a nightmare to get right. I must confess that it’s taken me a couple of years of trial and error to get to the point where I’m actually satisfied with my own attempts at fried eggs. The general mechanics of frying eggs are pretty simple. Put the egg into the pan and cook it without flipping it. So far, so simple. Unfortunately, when it comes to eggs I’m pretty fussy. I want my eggs to be soft but I can’t stomach the slimy layer of uncooked egg that often ends up on top.

Fortunately, I’ve discovered the ideal way to make sunny-side eggs that are wonderfully soft and perfectly cooked. Here’s how to do it.

You’ll need

Vegetable oil
A non-stick frying pan
A spatula
A tablespoon
1 egg
Salt and pepper

Method

Put the frying pan over a medium heat and add a small amount of oil. You can use any oil you like but I tend to prefer canola oil as it doesn’t alter the flavor of the egg or add any additional colors.

Once the oil is fairly hot, crack the egg into the pan being careful not to let any shells fall into the pan. Season the egg with a little bit of salt and pepper.

Keep an eye on the egg, as soon as it starts to turn white grab the spoon. Tilt the pan so the oil gathers around the egg and using the spoon gently pour some of the hot oil over the egg whites. The hot oil will cook the top of the eggs and prevent them from becoming underdone and gooey.