What’s better for a quick and nutritious breakfast than the humble egg? There are so many ways to cook eggs, but early in the morning, when you’re still half asleep, all you really want is something quick and simple. There are as many ways to cook eggs as there are cooks, but you’ll find the following essential stovetop methods both easy and foolproof.
The beauty of my method for boiling an egg is 1) you can take the egg straight from the fridge, 2) there’s little danger of the egg cracking as it goes into cold water and then heats up slowly, and 3) once the pan has reached boiling point you can just take it off the heat, set the timer and walk away.
If you like poached eggs but find them difficult to get right, I highly recommend silicon egg poachers. They’re available in any kitchenware store and most supermarkets. They’re a godsend and make perfect poached eggs every time.
There are as many ways to fry an egg as there are cooks, and I only came by this method recently, but it works for me. Placing the egg in a cup or bowl first is so much easier and safer than breaking it over a hot frying pan, but the real trick is having a well-heated but not too hot pan and one with a lid that can trap the naturally occurring steam that cooks the top of the egg. Frying pans with close-fitting lids aren’t easy to find, so you might have to mix and match with your collection of saucepan lids.
My earliest achievement after my operation was learning the art of making a one-egg omelette. Lifting the edges of the cooking egg and sliding the uncooked part under it and then flipping one half onto the other, are indeed delicate operations and only subtly different to the way you turn over a scrambling egg. But just remember, if your omelette doesn’t turn out as you expect it to, just say you meant to make a scrambled egg all along.
And when it comes to scrambled eggs, you’ll see I’ve given two methods. The first is one I only learnt as an adult, because I grew up with another, and much simpler (and to my mind, tastier) method which I’ve called Italian Style.
If you prefer even faster methods, or don’t have access to a stovetop, you could try the entry Eggs for Breakfast (2): In the Microwave.
Recipes:
Easy Boiled Egg
- 1 egg
- 1 slice wholegrain toast or 1-2 rice cakes
- Fill a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid with 3cm cold water
- Gently place an egg in the cold water
- Cover the pan and bring water to a rolling boil
- Remove pan from heat immediately
- Let egg stand in covered pan for 3 minutes for a soft-boiled egg or up to 10 minutes for a hard-boiled egg
- Drain and cool slightly with cold water
- Serve with a slice of toast or rice cakes
Tip: If you’re making a hard-boiled egg, here’s an easy way to peel it. Tap the egg on a hard surface on its long side and then roll it along the surface under your hand. The shell should now come off easily.
Easy Poached Egg
- 1 egg
- 1 slice wholegrain toast or 1-2 rice cakes
- Pepper
- Oil spray
- Fill a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid with 4cm water and bring to the boil
- Spray the inside of a silicon egg poacher with oil
- Break an egg into the poacher
- When the water boils bring the heat down a little so that it is simmering vigorously
- Lower the poacher into the water with a spoon or tongs
- Cover and simmer for 3–5 minutes according to your preferred firmness
- Lift poacher out of the water
- To remove egg from poacher, run the back of a knife around the edge of the egg, flip over and squeeze gently
- Serve on a slice of toast or rice cakes with a sprinkle of pepper
Easy Fried Egg
- 1 egg
- 1 slice wholegrain toast or 1-2 rice cakes
- Olive or canola oil
- Break an egg into a cup or small bowl and season to taste
- Pour a layer of oil onto the base of a small non-stick frying pan with a fitted lid
- Heat the pan over a low heat for 3–5 minutes to heat evenly, then raise heat to medium-high
- Slide egg into pan and immediately cover with lid
- Fry for 1 minute, then remove from heat
- Let stand covered for 15–60 seconds according to your preferred firmness
- Serve on a slice of toast or with rice cakes
Easy One-Egg Omelette
- 1 egg
- 1 slice wholegrain toast or 1-2 rice cakes
- Pepper and parsley
- Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
- Olive or canola oil
- Thoroughly beat together 1 egg, 1 tbsp. water, parsley, pepper and shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Spray a small non-stick frying pan with oil and place on a high heat
- Slowly pour the egg into the hot frying pan
- As the edge of the egg cooks, use a spatula to push the edge towards the centre while tilting the pan towards the spatula and letting the uncooked egg flow underneath
- Do this from several points around the edge until the underside of the egg is cooked
- Turn off the heat, place your spatula under one half of the egg and fold the egg over, letting the residual heat cook the centre
- Serve with a slice of toast or rice cakes
Variation: Before folding the omelette, spread ¼ cup cooked diced bacon or sliced mushrooms over one half
Easy Scrambled Egg
- 1 egg
- 1 slice wholegrain toast or 1-2 rice cakes
- 1 tbsp. low-fat milk (optional)
- 1 tbsp. butter or margarine
- Lightly beat an egg with low-fat milk (optional)
- Melt butter in a small frying pan on medium heat
- Pour the egg into the frying pan and use a spatula to move the egg towards the centre of the pan and, as the underside cooks, turn the egg over
- As soon as all the egg is lightly cooked, remove from heat
- Serve on a slice of toast or with rice cakes
Scrambled Egg Italian Style
- 1 egg
- 1 slice wholegrain toast or 1-2 rice cakes
- Olive oil
- Pour a layer of oil onto the base of a small non-stick frying pan
- Heat the pan over a low heat for 3–5 minutes to heat evenly, then raise heat to medium-high
- Break egg into pan
- Using a wooden spoon or spatula, break up the yoke and roughly stir the yoke into the white
- Continue stirring until the egg is cooked to your taste
- Remove from heat immediately
- Serve on a slice of toast or with rice cakes