How to Make the Perfect Fried Egg

Ingredients

• eggs
• butter

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat a non-stick skillet to heat set to just a little above medium. When you can hold your hand about 2 inches from the surface and tell that it’s very hot, add 1/2-1 teaspoon of butter per egg, melt the butter, and spread it into a circle about 6″ in diameter.

2. 2

   Carefully crack a cold egg into each melted butter circle (cold eggs will spread less; fresh ones will, too, but hopefully your eggs are reasonably fresh). It will start cooking immediately from the outside in. Sprinkle each egg with a small pinch of salt. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, watching the whites carefully–the area around the yolk will become more solid and opaque and if you gently poke the yolk, it will bounce back and won’t feel as fragile as a raw yolk will.

3. 3

   Once the “thickest” part of the white is almost completely cooked, gently jiggle a thin spatula under the egg and quickly flip it. Cook for about 1 more minute and then quickly remove the egg from the pan and serve it immediately (the yolk will continue to cook for a little while after you remove it from the pan, so if you’re after the runny yolk, be quick!) I serve mine with another tiny sprinkling of salt and a few shakes of green Tabasco sauce.