The unmistakable crack of shell meeting countertop. The waves-crashing-on-sand rumble of egg slipping into hot olive oil. The rolling rat-a-tat sputter of white and yolk dancing ecstatically in the pan. Making a perfect fried egg—crisp, rippling edges; warm, molten yolk—should make your heart race a little. And so should eating one, whether you’re fork-and-knifing it au naturel with salt and hot sauce or enjoying it on top of a more elaborate creation. Here’s how to fry an egg so that it's crispy, runny, and every bit as thrilling to make and eat as it ought to be.
The Technique
1. In a medium, preferably nonstick skillet, heat enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pan over medium-high until shimmering. (A 10" skillet fits 2 eggs; scale up if you want to cook more.) It may look like a lot of oil, but you’ll need it.
2. Add 2 large eggs, one at a time and spacing evenly apart, shaking pan gently between additions to allow edges to set without sticking together.
3. Cook eggs, shaking pan occasionally (and using a rubber spatula to help tease apart any edges if needed) until edges are golden brown, about 2 minutes.
4. Tilt the pan toward you to pool oil at base and using a soup spoon, spoon the hot oil over the egg whites (avoiding the yolks; you want them runny) to cook them anywhere they are still translucent (that's called basting), about 1 minute more.
5. Season eggs with salt and eat immediately.
Pro Tip: Go hot or go home! You want the oil in your pan to be almost smoking before those eggs go in, especially if you’re using anything other than a nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron—cold whites hitting a not-hot-enough stainless-steel pan are going to stick.
How We Use Them: Tuck them into a breakfast BLT, amp up your fried rice, put them on a burger, or top your perfectly seared steak. Crispy fried eggs are good on basically anything.