Fried eggs are a morning essential, no matter if you are making healthy avocado on toast or indulging in a hearty breakfast roll, but they can often be really frustrating to make. Kaitlin, the cook behind Modern Vintage Cooking, has shared that she hates frying eggs in oil as it is too much effort, while using butter adds too much fat and extra calories.
She said: “I was always afraid of making fried eggs at home because I didn’t want to flip the egg, accidentally break the yolk, and basically end up with a big mess instead of a meal. And while I know in my heart that they cook my eggs in butter at the diner, I have a hard time watching them sizzle away in fat at home.” Instead, Kaitlin shared there is a simple way to make perfect fried egg without any cooking oils or fats at all, as you can steam-fry them with just a tablespoon of water.
Frying eggs in oil may seem simple, but it will only cook the bottom white part, which can often leave it charred, while the yellow yolk will remain slightly raw and undercooked.
Flipping the egg over often results in it breaking apart in the pan, leaving you with eggy parts that are both burned and soggy with grease.
However, making eggs with a little water will create lots of steam which will cook the whole egg at the same time, so you get fully set egg whites with a lightly crisped yolk.
Steam frying is a really easy method that only takes less than five minutes, but will result in a much healthier and tastier egg without much effort at all.
How to make a fried egg with water
You will need:
One large eggOne teaspoon of water Cooking spray Frying pan with a lid
You can steam fry an egg without using cooking spray, but it will not develop crispy edges and will remain glossy. Cooking spray is used to help improve the texture, and it is still better than using oil. If you can, use a canola spray, as it has more of a neutral taste and will not change the flavour.
Method:
To begin, place the frying pan on a medium-high heat, and once hot add a few squirts of the cooking spray.
Crack an egg into a small bowl, and then quickly pour it into the pan. Using a bowl helps ensure you do not add any shell fragments while cooking.
Once the egg is in the pan, lower the heat to just below medium and let the egg cook for one minute. Add water into the pan when the egg whites are just beginning to set and the top yolk part is still raw.
Pour the water around the edges of the egg whites, then cover the frying pan with a lid and turn the heat down to low.
Let the egg cook for one more minute, and when you remove the lid, you should have an incredibly tasty and crispy egg without needing any unhealthy oils or fats.
