A perfectly fried egg, imo, should have a bright, crispy-edged egg white and a molten, slightly runny egg yolk that bursts when you cut into it with the side of your fork. Most of the time, when I make fried eggs I use the low-and-slow technique I shared in the paprika fried egg post. But even that method sometimes results in an egg yolk that has cooked through slightly on the bottom. Which, honestly, I’m fine with. But…
Jimmy is far, far pickier about what his ideal runny egg yolk should look like. They have to be cooked, but still completely runny. He eats his egg-and-toast breakfasts in a very specific order. First he cuts the egg white away from the yolk with near-surgical precision to avoid bursting it, then he assembles an egg white and bacon (or ham) sandwich before finally bursting the yolk with a slice of toast, which he uses to mop up all the golden goodness.
So when Jimmy makes eggs, it’s very important that he achieve that perfectly runny egg yolk. The method he uses is a little bit extra, I’ll admit. But it works! And you can’t argue with these results.
cook the egg white first, then add yolk
It really is that simple. Separate the yolk from the white and set the yolk aside. Cook the white in the pan until it’s opaque and mostly set. Then, add the yolk back into the pan on top of the white and cook a few minutes longer just so it’s not completely raw and has set in place on the white. Boom. Perfectly runny egg yolks. Every time.
This method also gives you two opportunities to season your egg: season the white in the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper, then another pinch over the egg yolk once you add it back in. You can also add any other seasonings (like paprika or everything bagel topping) to the egg white before adding the yolk.
cooking notes:
- To crack an egg, whack it firmly against a hard, flat surface, then use your thumbs to separate the two halves of the shell. Do not crack it against the edge of a bowl, because that pushes the shards of the shell inside the egg where they risk piercing the yolk.
- To separate the egg yolk from the egg white you can either use an egg separator, or you can use the egg shells as an egg separator by transferring the egg yolk between the two halves of the shell.
- If your stove or burners are uneven like ours are, you may need to tilt the pan to keep the yolk centered while it cooks.
fried egg with perfectly runny egg yolk
Equipment
- fish turner spatula
- non-stick pan
- egg separator (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 TBSP oil (or cooking spray)
Instructions
- Heat nonstick skillet over low-medium heat. Spray with cooking spray or a small drizzle of oil. When a few droplets of water flicked onto the surface of the pan sizzle, you’re ready to cook.
- Crack 1 large egg against a flat hard surface (not against the edge of a bowl, which can push shards of the shell into the egg) and gently open the shell over the pan, letting the egg white out while keeping the yolk in one half of the shell. Carefully transfer the yolk back and forth between the egg shell halves to separate the yolk from the white. Set the egg shell with the yolk in it aside. Use the spatula to prevent the egg white from spreading out too far.
- Sprinkle the egg white with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. When the egg white is mostly firm and no longer translucent, slide the spatula under the edges to make sure it’s not sticking to the pan.
- Carefully tip the reserved egg yolk onto the center of the cooked egg white. Be gentle and delicate. Tilt the pan slightly if needed to keep the egg centered in the white. Cook an additional 2-4 minutes until the yolk has just set in place.
Video
Notes
- If you want to be even more extra, crack your egg white into a round 4″ cookie or biscuit cutter (sprayed with cooking spray) to get a perfectly circular fried egg shape.
