Achieving the perfect fried egg can be a tricky business, but switching to rapeseed oil is the one simple tip that can help you nail crispy results every time.
Few things are more rewarding than cooking a perfectly fried egg — a mouth-watering breakfast staple. Equally, few things are more deflating than getting it wrong, as fried eggs have an unfortunate habit of sticking and burning in the pan. Despite being a seemingly simple recipe, fried eggs can go from gloriously crispy to hopelessly charred in a matter of seconds.
The key to achieving the ultimate fried egg, according to Chef Will Murray of Fallow restaurant, comes down to simply switching the cooking fat you use. A flawless fried egg doesn't need to be complicated. As long as you use the correct quantity of oil, the right type of oil, and the appropriate temperature, you can largely leave the egg to cook itself and it'll turn out perfectly — no flipping required.
Will insists that you can produce a fried egg "one minute like a chef" by deep frying in hot rapeseed oil rather than olive oil. Rapeseed oil has a higher smoke point, making it the far better option if you're looking for genuinely crispy edges. The chef described this as a "super quick" cooking tip that delivers "super crispy" results. The aim with this method is to achieve an outside that is "nice and crispy" while keeping the inside "nice and runny".
To prepare the egg, the chef started by pouring a generous amount of rapeseed oil into a pan and cracking eggs into separate bowls beforehand, allowing plenty of time to remove any stray shell fragments. He then cautiously moved the eggs one by one into the pan from a modest height above it. Dropping them from too great a distance risks damaging the yolk.
With the egg sizzling on a high heat, Will spooned some of the hot oil directly over the egg whites to accelerate the cooking process, which also produces an attractive bubbly texture. The eggs are ready once the whites are fully set and no longer look translucent in any area.
Once cooked, use a spatula to lift the egg from the pan onto a plate lined with kitchen paper or a cloth to absorb any excess oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and serve on top of whatever you fancy.
