How to Cook Eggs Over Easy the Easy Way

I first learned this technique from James Thorson in his book "Tough Guys Don't Dice." It's a great book. I recommend it to any neophyte cook. As far as I know it's out of print, but you can find copies if you look.

The secret to this recipe is to serve it with toast.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons butter (one if you're just cooking one egg)
2 large eggs (or one if you're watching your weight)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Two slices of bread

First, heat a small saute or omelet pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of butter and melt until it stops foaming. (You can use a teaspoon or two of canola oil, if your prefer. Just make sure the oil is hot before you add the eggs.) Crack two eggs into the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover tightly, and remove from the heat.

Trust me. There's enough heat left in the pan to cook the eggs.

Now, put the slices of bread in your toaster. Set it to make a reasonably brown toast, please. None of this "barely warm enough to melt the butter but not brown the bread" nonsense.

When the toast pops up, the eggs are done.

I know. It sounds weird but, if you get the temperatures right, it works great. If you leave the eggs on the heat, the bottom will get too crusty. If you don't let the pan heat up enough before hand, the yolks will be too runny.

Of course, I like my eggs either way, so I don't mind so much when I don't get it perfect.