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Eggs, Cooked Four Ways

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Makes 2 to 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes or less

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 4 eggs
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Put 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Crack the eggs one at a time on a flat, hard surface and open them over a bowl. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper and whisk until the yolks and whites are just combined.
  3. When the butter has melted or the oil is hot, pour the eggs into the skillet. Let the eggs cook for just a few seconds to heat up, then begin stirring frequently and scraping the sides of the pan. A wooden or silicone spatula is a good tool for this job, but any big spoon can work too.
  4. As the eggs begin to solidify, some parts may look like they’re drying out; whenever you see that, remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring until the cooking slows down a bit. Then return the pan to the heat and continue cooking. The eggs are done when they’re creamy and soft but still a bit runny. Even after you take them off the heat, they can quickly become overcooked, dry, and tough. (If you like them that way, that’s fine too.) Serve right away.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast

Recipe variations

Hard-Boiled Eggs No butter or oil needed. The method I like is this: Fill a medium saucepan halfway full with water and bring to a boil. Gently lower 4 eggs straight from the fridge (or not) into the water with a spoon so they don’t crack. Or use as many as will fit without bumping around. Cover and turn off the heat. For standard large eggs, figure 8 minutes for a jammy yolk, 1 minute longer up to 12 for each degree of doneness; by 12 they’ll probably turn chalky and get that green ring between the yolk and the white. Drain the eggs and rinse them under cold water until cool. Peel and serve right away, or refrigerate in the shell for up to a week.

Fried Eggs When the butter has melted or the oil is hot in Step 2, swirl it around to coat the bottom of the skillet. Crack the eggs into the skillet and cook, spooning some of the pooling butter or oil on top if you like, until the whites are no longer translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat to low and sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed until the whites are firm and the yolks are as runny as you like, just a couple minutes more. Gently lift the eggs out of the pan with a spatula. Serve right away.

Poached Eggs Put 1 to 2 inches water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so the water barely bubbles. Crack 1 egg on a flat, hard surface and open it into a shallow bowl, being careful not to break the yolk. Gently slip the egg into the water. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs, slipping each into different spots in the saucepan. Cook the eggs undisturbed for 2 to 5 minutes, depending on how hot the water is and your desired doneness. My ideal is just until the white is set and the yolk has filmed over. The longer you cook them, the thicker the yolks become. Lift the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon, letting as much water drain off as possible. If you want to make them look fancy, trim off any raggedy edges with kitchen scissors while the egg is in the spoon. Transfer them to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Serve right away, sprinkled with salt and pepper.