FRIED EGGS

• Heat oil or butter in frying pan.

 
• Wait until oil smokes slightly or butter starts to bubble.

 
• Break egg on a plate, add salt and pepper to taste.

 
• Tip plate to let egg slide gently into pan.

 
• With spoon, quickly keep lifting white over yolk to keep it soft.

 
• Tilt pan to allow oil to gather.

 
• With spoon, gently lift oil over uncooked white and yolk.

 
• When a delicate white setting takes place, egg is ready.

 
• A similar effect can be obtain by covering pan as eggs fry.

 
• These eggs will have soft, runny yolks and hard whites.

Allow 1-2 eggs per person.

Allan Day has sent in the following tip

A little tip for ‘perfect’ fried eggs: use a very small amount of vegetable oil in the pan and get to medium to very hot, crack your egg/s into the pan and fry for about 1 to 1½ minutes (get a lid to the pan ready), pour into the pan via the side about half an eggcup of cold water (yes I did say water) put the lid on the pan (the tighter the better) and cook for a further minute until the top of the yolk is nice and white.

HARD BOILED EGGS

• Place eggs in a pot of boiling water.

 
• Boil for no more than 8 to 10 minutes (otherwise the whites go rubbery)

 
• Drain pot and fill with cold water (this prevents the outside of the yolk turning grey)

 
• Let stand for a few minutes, shells will peel easily.

POACHED EGGS

• Boil water in a pot with salt and a little vinegar added.

 
• When boiling, turn heat down to simmer (i.e. when you can just see a slight movement in the water).

 
• Crack eggs, one at a time, gently drop contents of shell into water.

 
• Leave until white is set (3 minutes)

 
• Remove and drain with a slotted spoon.

 
• Keep in warm, slightly salty water until ready for use.

Poached eggs are a delightful treat for people who want to be sure their eggs have hard whites and runny yolks.  They are also easily swallowed and relatively bland until spiced with salt and/or pepper and so make an easy to eat dish for someone who is ill.  Serve on buttered toast.

Allow 1-2 eggs per person.

N.B.  Make sure your eggs are really fresh if not they will spread all over the pan.  You can also buy special pans for poaching which keep the eggs a nice shape.  Some people find it easier to run the egg down the side of the pan into the water.

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My problem has always been getting the white to set before it flays itself around the pan - getting the yoke right is a matter of preference and your other tips here are fine for that.

So my tip? Boil the egg in the shell for 10-30 seconds (depending on how cold the egg is before you start) then take it out, set it aside in a bowl for a few seconds for the water to dry off, then carefully crack/cook as normal. The white sets during the pre-boil just enough to hold together perfectly, but still poaches normally thereafter.

Tim Harris and friend Omar.

SCRAMBLED EGGS

You cannot overbeat scrambled eggs.  The more you beat them the fluffier and more golden they become.  If you do not beat them sufficiently they will have a grey appearance when cooked.  Allow 2 eggs per person and serve on toast.

This recipe uses four eggs (i.e. for 2 people).

• Beat eggs with two tablespoons of heavy cream in a bowl.

 
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet on a medium heat, add egg mixture.

 
• Stir gently and constantly with a wooden spoon until eggs scramble.

 
• Add salt and pepper, sever heaped on hot, buttered toast.

 
• Garnish with a sprig of parsley,

This recipe uses cream, however, milk can be substituted instead and if, like me, you like your scrambled eggs on the dry side, forget it altogether.

A nice variation to this is to add some "Worcestershire Sauce" to the mixture. I hope you can buy this in America it is made by Lea & Perrins.

Thanks to Mr. Michael Paterson for all these recipes - for more of the same check out our other pages.