I like eggs with a runny yolk for dipping toast, but the white must be cooked all the way through. In all the years I’ve been cooking them, I’ve only managed perfectly done eggs a handful of times, and I never know what it is I’ve done right.
What’s the proper temperature? We have an electric stove, with the not-too-accurate dial settings of LO, MED and HI. Does it work better to cook longer at a lower setting or shorter at a higher setting? What I need is to find the balance of cooked white but before the yolk has started to happen.
Anyone have any ideas they’d like to share? The home fries are on now. Eggs ought to be in about half an hour.
Thanks!
Oops, I meant “…before the yolk has started to harden.”
I am a huge fan of eggs sunny-side up, I just love 'em.
What works for me is lower temp. When I get the temperature too high, the eggs get browned and hard on the pan side, and do not cook enough on top.
Low and slow works for me.
If I want runny yolks but not runny white, I have to flip.
I know that sunny side up usually means no flipping, but if you only do it for a few seconds, the yolks won’t get hard.
Flip when the whites are almost set.
Oops on me, as well. I meant to to also say that the cooking of the yolks is a problem, which is another reason to not overdo the heat.
One cheat I do use is if you are cooking them in oil or butter, is to use the spat to “toss” the hot oil over the whites, thus cooking them harder and faster while leaving the delicious yolk un-hardened. Do not splash the oil/butter onto the yolks or you’re gonna have over-easy eggs.
Of course, if you’re using a cooking spray/nonstick pans, this is not doable, so go very slow.
Thanks for the tips. My wife’s eggs came out perfect. By the time I put mine on, the surface of the pan was hotter, I think, and mine were cooked on the bottom but the top was still runny. I put a lid on them for a couple of minutes, which almost helped. Oh well, I’ll try it again next time.
I do appreciate your advice.
Set the stove to “medium”. Grease the pan however you choose (I usually use spray, but of course the ideal is bacon grease), and let it heat up. Sprinkle a few drops of water to test: When the water sizzles, it’s ready. Crack in the eggs, and cover immediately. Cook for three minutes. Do not flip. The whites will be cooked, and the yolks will be runny.