Choosing the best type of cooked egg for your recipe is pretty simple.
But on second thought, many types of cooked eggs are used in different ways.
So you don’t want to crew things up. You want to use the correct type of egg, depending on what you want.
Some people prefer poached eggs, others like hard-boiled ones, and others like soft-boiled ones.
Whichever you have in mind, we’ll discuss how you can best prepare them on this page and some of the recipes they’re best suited for. So fasten your seat belt!
Types Of Cooked Eggs
1. Hard Boiled
This egg is boiled with its shell in boiling water. When we use the term “hard” in this context, we refer to the thickness of the egg’s shell, yolk, and albumen.
And cooking this egg is quite simple, although the steps require caution and prudence.
First and foremost, fill a pot with enough water for about 2¼ inches or enough to cover your egg.
Allow the water to boil, then place your eggs inside and leave them for 8 to 10 minutes.
Gently turn off the heat supply and remove the eggs from the pot. Allow the eggs to sit out for some time to cool, then gently peel off the shell.
2. Soft Boiled
This is another exciting way of cooking an egg. It follows the same procedure as the hard-boiled egg.
The critical difference between these methods is the boiling time. Soft Boiled only takes half the time required to cook the hard-boiled.
The white part of the eggs is fairly hard, but the yolk remains creamy.
Unlike hard-boiled eggs, soft-boiled are usually eaten in the shell.
You can carefully remove the egg’s top and scoop out the content beneath the shell. They are excellent on toast and hot sauce.
3. Poached Egg
Poaching is a cooking technique that involves heating foods submerged in a liquid such as water, milk, stock, or wine.
A poached egg is like cooking the eggs without the shell on it or cooking where the eggs do not have contact with the pan.
The egg in this method is cracked into a cup or bowl of appropriate size and gently poured into a pan of water at 73⁰C and cooked until the white part of the egg (albumen) solidifies but the yolk remains watery.
People need clarification about how to eat the poached egg. Most people serve it on toast.
However, this is usually wrong because the remains of water from cooking might create an unpleasant layer on the toast. Instead, it is traditionally served near the toast.
4. Sunny Side Up
The name sunny-side-up is derived from the bright morning sun. This is because after cooking the egg, it retains its yellow color for the yolk, while the white part is cooked until it creates a brownish film.
To cook, crack the egg directly into your pan and fry on one side without flipping until the edges of the egg turn brown.
5. Over Easy
Over-easy eggs are often mistaken for sunny side up, but there are fundamental differences between both.
For sunny side up, there is no need to flip the egg while cooking; however, for over-easy eggs, go from sunny side up by flipping your egg when the edges turn brown.
The term “over easy” doesn’t refer to how simple it is to flip the egg. It means the state of the yolk after cooking.
The eggs are cooked on both sides until a thin covering is made on the yolk.
When served, the top of the over-easy eggs appears white while the yolk remains watery.
6. Over Medium
Over medium is regarded as the next phase of the over-easy eggs.
In this case, the eggs are fried, flipped, and cooked for a more extended period, enough to make the white turn brownish —especially the edges.
During cooking, there will be a thick covering on the yolk, but it will still be slightly watery. The time interval for cooking an over-medium egg shouldn’t last at most 3 minutes.
7. Over Hard
Overharding is a delectable way to eat your egg without a runny yolk. This is the last step starting from the sunny side up.
This type of egg is usually preferred over other eggs for breakfast sandwiches if you don’t want a liquid yolk.
It is fried, flipped, and cooked thoroughly until the white part and the yolk is completely cooked.
However, it is advisable to make a hole in the covering of the yolk before flipping to ensure that it is cooked without being watery.
8. Hard Scrambled
This is one of the effective ways of cooking eggs. In this method, you will need to crack the egg and mix the yolk and the white part evenly before pouring it into a pan for frying.
While cooking, stir the mixture in the pan to cook well.
9. Soft scrambled
Soft scrambled eggs are preferable over hard scrambled because of their texture. They are regarded as moist eggs.
The critical difference between both is the cooking time.
To prepare soft scrambled eggs, you must stay away from distractions and realize that eggs cook quickly.
After breaking the eggs into a bowl, heat the pan a little longer and grease it with oil; pour the egg in and cook.
Ensure the eggs do not spread throughout the pan, as they will overcook fast. Turn and fold them until they no longer look watery but are still moist.
Get your plate ready and remove it from the heat.
10. Basted Eggs
The basted eggs are similar to sunny side up; more so, it is often mistaken for poached eggs.
You cook it in a small quantity of oil, and then a tiny amount of water is added to make it cook well.
While cooking the basted eggs, ensure to scoop the egg repeatedly and pour the cooking oil on top of the egg to cook the yolk and the albumen without flipping.
The water added to the egg is to steam the white part evenly without creating a film on it.
11. Baked Eggs
Baked eggs are cracked and baked in a dish —usually with the help of a microwave or an oven.
In this case, the eggs are mixed with other ingredients like; tomato, cheese, etc. The white part of the egg is cooked thoroughly while the yolk is left moist.
12. Omelette
Do not be afraid! Making an omelette at home is as easy as you could imagine.
However, it has two ways of preparing: French and American versions. And they both have their unique characteristics.
The French omelette
It starts with cracking the egg into the pan. The pan is shaken continuously during the cooking process until the eggs begin to set.
When thoroughly cooked, the eggs are rolled and folded to form a fine oval shape and then transferred to a plate for eating.
The American Omelette
It follows the same pattern as the French omelette, but in this case, the egg is raised on one side with a spatula so that the uncooked side(runny) will move underneath the pan to cook evenly.
Unlike the French omelette, when the eggs are properly cooked, they are folded in half rather than rolled.
13. Frittata
This is an Italian dish similar to other ways of preparing an egg, like an omelette and scrambled eggs.
The word “frittata” in Italy means “fry.” Therefore it has to do with frying. It is usually cooked with other ingredients like meat, cheese, and vegetables.
It starts by cracking the eggs into a pan and mixed with other ingredients.
The mixture is cooked over shallow heat more slowly for at least 7 minutes until the surface underneath the pan is set, but the top remains watery.
Although, the watery part is not folded or rolled like the omelette; instead, it is turned over entirely to enable both sides to cook very well.
14. Scotch Egg
The name Scotch we are supposedly named after William J. Scott and Sons, a well-known fast food which sold them.
A scotch egg is a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat coated in breadcrumbs and baked or fried. It is a picnic food and is often used as a snack.
15. Souffle
It is an egg-based dish originating from France. In this case, the egg is combined with various other ingredients.
It can serve as a main dish or as dessert.
In French, the word “soufflé” means “to blow,” “to breath,” and “to puff”. The primary ingredients are egg yolk and egg white (albumen). Some of its components are herbs, cheese, and vegetables for savory soufflé.
They are usually baked in ramekins or soufflé pans. The pans are coated with butter or breadcrumbs to prevent them from sticking.
First, mix the white eggs and the ingredients, and then add the yolk. After mixing, pour the mixture into the soufflé pan for baking.
The time for preparing the soufflé may range from 5 to 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Eggs Expire?
This is an essential question concerning egg consumption. And the answer is yes; eggs do expire.
Unlike other proteins, eggs have a longer shelf life, but when you buy them from the store, it can be hard to know how long they have been on that shelf and how long they will remain fresh for you.
Fortunately, date labels are usually placed on egg cartons. These labels help to determine how long your eggs can stay fresh and safe for consumption.
Eggs that have been cleaned and stored in the refrigerator can stay fresh for an average of 4 to 5 weeks.
Beyond 5weeks, eggs might lose their freshness, flavor, and color and decline in texture no matter how long you refrigerate.
How Do You Check If Eggs Are Good?
A meaningful way to check if an egg is safe for consumption is the use of water.
This strategy is called the freshwater test. The technique is simple; fill a bowl or glass (usually a transparent container) with about 3¼ inches of cold water and gently place your egg inside.
If the egg is still fresh, it will sink to the bottom of the container and will position horizontally.
However, if the egg sinks but is positioned on its small end, it’s still suitable for consumption but could be fresher.
Any egg that is no longer good for consumption with float to the surface of the water.
Nevertheless, some eggs might still float but are suitable for consumption.
What you will need to do at this point is to crack the egg into a bowl and examine it for an odor or an unusual look before deciding to use or discard it.
How can I store my Egg?
This is vital because, most times, we need to keep the eggs safely for later use.
Many people usually throw away the Carton after buying the eggs and prefer to store it in an egg candy. That’s right, but you might miss some crucial facts.
Firstly, the carton protects the eggs from absorbing odor and flavor from other food substances in the fridge.
The best-before date on the carton is essential to guarantee freshness.
Eggs should be packed the same way they were packaged in the carton. This will enable the yolk to remain in position.
Lastly, store the eggs in the refrigerator, not on the refrigerator door. Leftover raw egg white and yolk should be put in an airtight container and stored carefully in the fridge.
Which Part Of The Egg Contains Protein?
Most people say: the yolk contains protein, while some believe it’s egg white.
However, both are right. Both egg yolks and whites contain protein, but the difference is that egg white has slightly more than the yolk.
The good news here is no matter how you prepare the egg, whether boiled or fried, it still serves the same amount of protein to the body.
Conclusion
The methods above are different ways to prepare an egg. This shows how versatile eggs can be, even in different textures and tastes.
You can do so many things with eggs once they are cooked.
For instance, you can chop hard-boiled eggs into a breakfast burrito, poach eggs in tacos with crispy potato, scramble eggs in a breakfast sandwich, or sunny side up in avocado slices.
Regardless of the mode of usage, they are essential in enhancing the breakfast dish and can stand independently.
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