Perfect Sunny Side Up Eggs
Eggs, yes, the perfect food. And, when it comes to making them sunny side up eggs, well, I have the failsafe technique for you!
Types of Cooked Eggs
Eggs. These delicious creamy creatures can be hard to cook to perfection. But, not to stress, I can give you some great recipes that guarantee you’re going to be preparing eggs like a pro!
Sunny Side Up Eggs with Butter
Of course, I love to cook my sunny side up eggs in bacon drippings. It gives so much immense flavor. But, it also gives them somewhat of a light brown hue because of the drippings and the fat that there may even be flicks of bacon in the drippings. Hey, that’s all fine with me.
However, if you don’t have bacon drippings, then a really nice grassfed butter, salted, yes, works beautifully. You’re eggs will finish to a pristine white and golden yellow yolk.
Different Ways to Cook Eggs
Let’s look at some of the ways we love to eat eggs, particularly in the morning for breakfast or for brunch.
The Soft Boiled Egg, oh, yes, love these because I can prepare say 6+ of them, refrigerate and have for snaking and eating for several days. Here’s my ahhhmazing soft boiled egg recipe. And, if you want them to be hard boiled, well then, no problem. Just cook them another 4-5 minutes!
Scrambled, but not the American way, the French Scrambles. Velvety smooth and creamy, you have to be patient because good eats sometimes don’t happen quickly!
Oh, yes, the omelet. And, I have some ideas to take it to the next level. Yes, the French Omelet! Like nothing you’ve ever experienced with an egg omelet!
West Virginia. Southern Appalachian. I’m talking about the Lace Egg!
Over Easy vs. Sunnyside Up
Yes, there’s a simple distinction between these two types of eggs.
Over easy is when you flip the egg, and the yolk remains runny.
Sunny side up is when you fry the egg, the yolk is drippy, the whites are done, but you don’t flip!
How to Cook an Egg without Flipping It
When it comes to flipping eggs, yes, you have to be confident in your flip. And, you must know when the perfect time is to flip. Then, you have to absolutely remove when the timing is perfect.
So, the flipped egg may be more technical than cooking an egg without flipping it. Another caveat when flipping an egg? You run the risk of breaking the yolk. Oh, no! Then you have a cooked flat yolk that’s probably best for an egg sandwich!
Sunny Side Eggs
The perfect sunny side eggs are eggs that have the drippy dippy yolk and a mainly cooked white. When it comes to achieving this, your equipment is essential. You want a non-stick ceramic skillet.
And, you want a flexible rubber spatula.
Depending upon how many eggs you’re cooking one and up to about 8 (max for me), then you’ll choose the skillet size.
Recipe of Sunny Side Up
I don’t crack each egg individually into the skillet. If something happens and the egg breaks, well, you’re in trouble.
My strategy is to crack the eggs in a small bowl and then very gently slide them into the medium hot skillet that has the butter melted and bubbly.
And, another thing I don’t do is use a lid to steam the cooking. Rather I prefer, to gently move the whites around, sometimes tilting the skillet and it will run to the edges and cook. As the eggs, are cooking on a medium low heat, I carefully and gently move uncooked white to the side. Or sometimes I’ll make a ‘slit’ in the whites and scoot the uncooked white into that crevice.
How to Make Sunny Side Up Eggs with Butter
Very important to cooking your eggs from the get go is to have the skillet at the right temperature. I put the skillet over medium heat and then when it’s slightly hot, I add the butter and let it melt and sizzle/bubble. Move this butter around coating the entire bottom of the skillet.
Don’t turn up the heat yet. You don’t want brown butter, which is good, but not what we want with these sunny side up eggs.
Once your butter’s melted, you have the bubbly and the pan is coated, then you can slowly slide in the eggs, turn up the heat a little and let the cooking process begin.
No lid cover please! Some will say yes cover with a lid and let the steam work the cooking of the whites. But, I find that I can control the whites cooking much better with the ‘slide’ around uncooked whites to the perimeter of the pan strategy.
How to Make Dippy Eggs without Flipping Them
Making dippy eggs is the best! Dippy drippy egg yolks make for sopping. And, sopping is the ultimate way to feel like you’re enjoying what I call ‘golden orange’ caviar! Yes, the yolk of the pasture raised egg. And, yes, I know pasture raised are pricier, but the value you get from the nutrients is superior. Rather than eating three regular, even those labeled organic or free-range, eat two pasture-raised. Simply better for you.
Making dippy drippy eggs without flipping ensures that you’re going to get that runny yolk. You know that you always run the risk of breaking that delicate yolk in the flip!
Perfect Sunny Side Up Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 Tbl. grassfed butter, salted
- 6 pasture-raised eggs
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Crack the six eggs into a medium sized mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Put a non-stick ceramic (or well-seasoned cast iron) skillet, over medium heat and let it get hot. Put the butter in and let it melt and get bubbly. Coat the bottom of the skillet and sides with the butter.
- Gently slide in the eggs from the bowl. Let the eggs start bubbling and cooking about 60 seconds.
- Take your rubber flexible spatula and begin gently moving the whites to the edges of the skillet. You can carefully tilt the skillet and some of the uncooked whites will slide to the tiled side. You can also gently move whites with our spatula (make sure it's clean). Another technique is to make a small slit in the whites and scoot uncooked whites to the slit to cook. Do this for about 60 to 75 seconds. You should have most of the whites cooking.
- Reduce the heat to medium low. Salt and pepper to taste. Let the eggs cook another about 2 to 3 minutes. If you want the yolks more cooked, then let them cook longer. Runny dripping yolks will maintain that shiny glow.
- When done to your liking, simply slide onto a platter or take your rubber spatula and separate the eggs and serve!
Notes
Another strategy for cooking the whites is to use more butter, three tablespoons, and use the hot butter as a basting oil to cook the whites.
