How To Make Perfect Fried Eggs Like Gordon Ramsay
Just about everyone can benefit from a few good tips on how to fry an egg. It's a breakfast staple, as well as the perfect topping for any rice bowl. British chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay has his own recipe that includes two types of fat and a significant dose of spice.
Non-stick cookware is a must here, since a delicate egg will quickly break if you start trying to pry it from a pan. That said, if you're a pro with an aluminum pan or a cast iron skillet, you can certainly try it out.
The first point is heat — Ramsay says an egg will always stick to a cold pan, no matter the type, so a hot cooking surface is a necessity. The next point is the fats. Ramsay uses both oil and butter here in what looks to be around equal amounts. When you add the butter, the pan should be hot enough that it starts melting and bubbling fairly aggressively.
Once melted, throw a bit of salt into the pan to make sure the bottoms of the eggs are seasoned. Now, it's time to add the eggs — which should be cracked on a flat surface and added to the pan as gently as possible (to protect those yolks).
The trick to a runny yolk with perfectly set whites
Seasoning comes next, and Ramsay says he adds "a touch" of salt, pepper, and chili flakes. However, you can never trust a professional chef when they use language like "a touch of" or "a pinch of" — looking at the video, he clearly uses quite a healthy amount of each seasoning.
Ramsay likes his eggs with a super runny yolk, crispy edges, and perfectly set whites (which sounds perfect to me, too). To get this result, you need to baste the eggs with your butter-oil mix. This simply means getting the bubbling hot fat onto the top of the egg.
Ramsay has showcased two methods for basting eggs: one with plenty of oil and butter, and one with a more reserved amount. If you're working with lots of butter and oil, simply take the pan off the heat and roll it clockwise so the fat starts to circle the pan and cover the eggs. Even with less fat, you should still do this — but to make sure enough oil reaches the top of the whites, use a small spoon to grab some fat and pour it over the right spots.
Once the whites look set and the edges look crispy, take the pan off the heat and — if you're in the mood for more seasoning — add "a touch" of sriracha and some Worcestershire sauce.