Easy ways to prepare eggs for breakfast
by Gordon Hamilton
Eggs are surely one of the most popular of all basic breakfast ingredients. The simplicity with which they can be cooked, in a minimum amount of time, and their incredible versatility, means that eggs for breakfast need never be complicated, repetitive or boring.
Soft boiled egg
The first and perhaps easiest way to cook an egg for breakfast is by boiling it. The egg should be added to a pot and the pot filled with enough cold water to completely cover the egg. Put the pot on to a high heat until the water reaches a boil. Reduce the heat in order to achieve a gentle simmer. A soft-boiled egg should take around three minutes from this point onwards, with a slightly longer cooking time required to suit different preferences. Remove the egg from the water carefully with a tablespoon to an egg cup. Crack the top of the shell and serve with hot toast.
Scrambled eggs
Scrambling is another easy way to prepare eggs for breakfast. There is often much debate about the best way to scramble eggs but this method ensures the eggs are as light and fluffy as possible, while eliminating the risk of them being over-cooked.
To serve one person, break two eggs straight in to a cold pot. Add a quarter stick of butter and turn on the heat to medium. Use a plastic spatula to begin mixing and scrambling the eggs. The eggs have to be worked constantly while they are in the pot and every twenty seconds or so, the pot should be removed from the heat to a cool surface for a few seconds to prevent over-cooking.
When the eggs are done, add a couple of teaspoons of soured cream to stop them cooking and season with salt and white pepper. Stir in a little chopped basil or chives to provide a little extra flavor twist and serve on or with hot toast.
Poached eggs
Poaching eggs is extremely easy provided you take note of a little bit of science. Aside from ensuring the egg(s) have reached room temperature, it is important also to break each egg firstly in to a small bowl or cup, never straight in to the pan. A pot of water should then be brought to a rolling boil and a little vinegar added. White wine vinegar causes a less unpleasant odour than malt but achieves the same effect. The water should then be stirred to form a whirlpool effect and the egg gently deposited in the centre. The motion of the water and the acidity of the vinegar causes the albumin (egg white) to wrap around the yolk. The heat should then be reduced to have the water barely simmering and the perfect poached egg should take no more than three to four minutes.
Fried eggs
There are two very common mistakes made when frying eggs. Firstly, you should be sure to use a non-stick pan with a minimum amount of oil only. Too much oil will simply cause the egg to spread out across the pan, through the oil. Secondly, you should bring the pan up to a fairly high heat before adding the egg and reduce the heat slightly only at that stage. As with poaching eggs, the eggs should firstly be broken in to a bowl or cup and then gently added to the pan. An egg will take around three minutes to fry and it is entirely dependant upon your own preference whether you wish to serve the egg sunny-side up or turn it over two-thirds of the way through the cooking process.
Omelets
Professional chefs often test potential kitchen employees by asking them to prepare a simple omelet. Although the procedure is not difficult, so much can go wrong if you are not careful. A plain omelet is delicious served with sides such as sausage, bacon and tomato but this idea involves incorporating those additional flavors within the actual omelet.
Start by frying or grilling one rasher of bacon. When it is done, roughly chop it in to pieces and sit it on a plate. Take half a tomato and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Finely dice the flesh and mix with the bacon.
Beat three eggs very lightly in a small bowl. A little butter should be melted in a small, non-stick omelet pan and the egg mixture only poured in. The heat should be brought up to medium and you should gently begin pulling the egg mixture from the edges of the pan in towards the centre with a spatula, working your way around the pan. Stop doing this as soon as the eggs begin to set. When the omelet is almost completely set, season with a little salt and white pepper. The bacon and tomato should be scattered over one half of the omelet and the other half then carefully folded over. The omelet is then ready to be served.