Over-medium eggs are a delightful breakfast option. We might even go as far as to say that they’re the best way to eat eggs!
The whites are firm and not slimy, and the yolks are still slightly runny with enough give to ooze out all over your plate when pierced.
We love an over-medium egg as much as the next person, but they can be tricky to perfect. These types of eggs only take five minutes and require very little in the way of equipment, so how do we find them so difficult to make?
Well, it might be due to the fact that timing is everything. In our busy day-to-day lives, we might not always have five minutes to stand over a stove and watch our eggs cook.
However, if you want over-medium eggs done right every time, you’re going to need to slow down and allow yourself this time.
Today we’ll be looking at how to make medium-over eggs perfectly every single time. With a few days of practice, you’ll be able to make your breakfast without even thinking about our tips and tricks. So, what are we waiting for?
What does over-medium mean?
An over-medium egg is a fried egg that has the egg white set properly while the yolk is still runny.
When poked with a knife the yolk will cascade down the egg white and all over the rest of your plate, giving you a delicious dipping sauce for whatever else you’re having with your eggs.
You might be thinking that this just sounds like another term for sunny-side-up eggs.
However, this is not true. Sunny-side-up eggs are only cooked on one side and never flipped, leaving you with a runny yolk but perhaps a thin layer of uncooked egg white.
We don’t like sunny-side-ups due to this, as unfortunately, the slimy uncooked white is enough to make our stomachs turn. So, instead, we look at over-medium eggs.
When cooking over-medium eggs, the egg is flipped so that the top can also cook for a short amount of time.
The ‘medium’ refers to how the yolk is cooked once the egg is ready to be eaten. Over-medium falls right in between over-easy and over-hard eggs.
Myths for over-easy eggs - true or false?
People have been trying to perfect their over-medium eggs for years, meaning that there have been a lot of myths hitting the internet about how to give your eggs the best chance at turning out perfect.
But are these myths true or false? Let’s look at a few of the most common myths about over-medium eggs and whether you should listen to them or not.
You Should Always Use Fresh Eggs
The myth is that fresh eggs will have a firmer egg white that can hold onto their shape better during the cooking process. Older eggs are more liquidy and therefore better for making hard-boiled eggs rather than fried eggs.
True or false?
This myth is true - you should use the freshest eggs that you have in order to achieve the best outcome. Plus, fresh eggs tend to taste the best too.
The Egg Needs to Be Cracked Into a Bowl First
When cooking the eggs, you’ll need to crack them either directly into the pan or into a bowl first.
The myth is that cracking the egg into a bowl allows the yolk to remain in the center of the egg white better which will make it look nicer as the end result.
It will also prevent the egg yolk from sitting at the edge of the white where it is in a more vulnerable position to be broken.
True or false?
We’ve concluded that this is both true and false. Yes, using a bowl will better position the yolk most of the time, although this isn’t a 100% guarantee.
Getting the yolk in the center of the egg white will make it less likely to be broken in the cooking process.
However, cracking an egg in a bowl might also rupture the yolk and ruin your egg altogether. Plus, it’s extra clean-up time.
So, whether you do this is up to your personal opinion. We do use a bowl first, but it’s not extremely necessary.
You’ll Need a Thin Spatula to Turn the Eggs
For this myth, it states that you’ll need a thin non-stick spatula to slide underneath the egg to turn it without breaking the yolk.
A thick spatula might drag up the egg white underneath and compromise the yolk before the cooking process is over.
True or false?
True, a thin spatula will work best for flipping your eggs. Most spatulas are thin anyway, so don’t worry too much about going out and purchasing a new spatula altogether.
However, if your current spatula is not non-stick or has seen better days, you might want to replace it.
Our old spatula had burnt edges from years of use, so we finally bit the bullet and got a new one. The difference in flipping eggs was unimaginable. We definitely recommend using a thin non-stick spatula for over-medium eggs.
The Egg White Needs to Be Poked with a Fork
Our final myth states that you need to poke holes in the egg white as they’re cooking so that the liquid white can flow down and through the cooked part.
This allows the liquid to touch the cooking surface and cook quicker and more evenly.
True or false?
This myth is false. For starters, you will be compromising your egg white and making it thinner than it should be. This makes the white more rubbery and gives you a higher chance of overcooking it without noticing.
Plus, you’re giving the egg yolk a thinner amount of cushioning while it's cooking. This might make it easier to break before it gets onto your plate.
Overall, we think that this is a waste of time and will lessen the quality of your over-medium eggs.
Choosing the Right Pan for Over-Medium Eggs
We’ve talked about the right spatula to use with your eggs, but what about the pan?
When cooking over-medium eggs, it’s easy to assume that the equipment you’re using will not matter too much. However, this is not the case and the pan you’re using can make or break your breakfast.
For starters, don’t even try to cook an over-medium egg without a non-stick pan. In fact, don’t try to cook any eggs without a non-stick pan, as you’re just setting yourself up for a much more difficult task.
A non-stick pan will allow your eggs to be picked up and flipped easily without breaking the yolk or the white.
You will also need a pan that is the correct size. The pan should be large enough that the eggs have enough room to spread out on their own without touching one another.
They should also have enough room around them so that you can flip them without disturbing the rest.
However, the pan shouldn’t be too large as you’ll have to waste more oil greasing the bottom. Plus, you’ll have to wait longer for the pan to get up to the right temperature.
For two eggs, we recommend an eight-inch pan. For more eggs, you’ll either need a larger pan or to make the eggs in batches.
Making Your Perfect Over-Medium Eggs
Okay, we’ve left you waiting for long enough now - let’s get into how to make your own over-medium eggs at home.
What You’ll Need:
Fresh eggs
Oil for greasing
Seasoning
Non-stick pan
Non-stick spatula
Bowl
Method:
Heat your non-stick pan over medium heat for a few minutes until it is evenly heated.
Add your oil, turning the pan slowly to cover the entire cooking surface. Make sure that you’re using enough oil to prevent the eggs from sticking.
Crack your egg into a bowl. You’ll want to do this one at a time so that the eggs don’t conjoin before cooking.
Carefully pour the egg from the bowl into the pan. If you’re cooking more than one egg, make sure that it is on one side so that there is enough room for the other eggs.
Repeat this process with the other eggs.
Season with salt and pepper (plus anything else you want to season with).
Leave the eggs to cook undisturbed for three minutes or until the corners are beginning to curl. The egg white should look set.
Flip the eggs with your non-stick spatula, ensuring that the spatula is all the way underneath the yolk so that it doesn’t break while flipping. Place the uncooked side downwards carefully as not to puncture the yolk.
Cook on the second side for around two minutes before flipping over again. Your eggs are now ready to serve!
Tips and Tricks:
You might have to try a few cooking temperatures before you find the optimal setting.
Alternatively, your cooking times might need to be adjusted depending on your stove. A too hot stove will reduce the cooking time, resulting in an over-hard yolk by following our method above.
On the other hand, using a too-low temperature might leave your eggs uncooked after the cooking times listed above.
Make sure that all of your eggs have enough space around them so that they’re not touching the other eggs. Conjoined eggs will take longer to cook and make them look less satisfying when plated up.
Don’t forget to season your eggs. An unseasoned egg will be much less impressive than a seasoned egg, so don’t skimp on this part.
We like to use spices such as paprika, tarragon, or cumin. Herbs such as basil and thyme can also be used.
When should you flip the egg?
When making your over-medium eggs, you’ll likely be full of doubt when it comes to the correct time to flip the egg. You’ll want to flip it, then stop yourself, go to flip it again, before stepping back once more.
Cooking over-medium eggs is like playing a game of chicken (no pun intended) with your breakfast. But it’s important that you wait until the first side is completely cooked before flipping.
Otherwise, you’ll have to flip the egg multiple times, increasing the likelihood of the egg yolk breaking and increasing the chance of overcooking the egg.
So, when should you flip your egg to its second side? There is an easy way to know when it’s time to do this.
However, just because it’s easy does not mean that it’s not important. Remember this golden rule when making over-medium eggs:
You need to wait until the entire outside ring of the egg white is completely set while the inside ring (nearest the yolk) is beginning to set.
This inner ring should be half an inch thick. This inner ring might look cream-colored rather than white and it will be soft to touch. However, it shouldn’t still be translucent.
Waiting for your egg white to set like this should take between three and four minutes depending on your stove.
Summary
We hope that you’ve enjoyed learning about how to make over-medium eggs perfectly every time. You’ll find your own way of altering it to depend on your stove, cooking equipment, and personal preferences.
However, this guide is a good starting point to make delicious over-medium eggs with completely set whites and slightly runny yolks. Enjoy, and don’t blame us when your family is asking for over-medium eggs every single morning!
