Snarky Chef

Sometimes it’s the basics that can be the most inconsistent and frustrating. For instance, how do you fry the perfect egg? Here are a six tricks for the perfect fried egg.

1. Use margarine instead of butter. Butter can scorch, resulting in a brown and unappetizing looking egg, and a burnt taste, and cooking spray just doesn’t do the job for fried eggs. You want a good coating of melted margarine on the entire surface of the pan. Another good option is olive oil, but it doesn’t add the same buttery flavor most folks enjoy with their eggs.
2. Choose the right heat. Medium high or high heat can cause your egg to cook unevenly and with a crispy (i.e. singed) texture. Medium heat is best.
3. Make sure your pan is completely heated before you crack the egg. A pan that is not hot enough will make the egg spread out too much, resulting in overcooked edges.
4. After cracking the egg into the pan, add a few drops of water around the egg and then cover the pan. The steam will help to cook the egg more evenly. (This is especially helpful when you like your eggs “sunny side up”.)
5. Use a very thin, wide spatula to turn your eggs. When you use a spatula that is not as wide as the egg, you are flirting with disaster, and are likely to break the yolk when you flip it. And, a thinner spatula is easier to insert smoothly under the egg, leaving no little bits on the bottom of the pan.
6. Don’t overdo it with the salt and pepper! These can always be added later, but they can’t be taken away.

Enjoy your egg-cellent breakfast!

I am a fabulous home cook and baker who learned how to make pound cake, hollandaise, and a gin martini by the age of four… and that was (ahem) several years ago.

My kitchen is in the Pacific Northwest, where it is gorgeous two weeks out of the year, but every other day you need to make your own sunshine in the kitchen (or go tanning if you want to avoid seasonal affective disorder and promote melanoma.)

My specialties are sweet treats and meals that make you have to unbutton your pants. Calories Schmalories! You won’t find any of that low-carb or sugar-free crap here. I am an omnivore and am comfortable with my place in the food chain, so you vegans need to avert your eyes or avoid my recipes altogether. Just sayin’.

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