The One Food José Andrés Would Never Order At A Restaurant

Celebrity chefs build their careers on dishes so exceptionally good they stand out on the crowded culinary scene, and they go onto teach others with television shows and cookbooks. Their expertise is so well known, it's hard to imagine these kitchen geniuses in one specific situation: ordering at a restaurant that is not their own. When you've spent your life perfecting dishes, is it easy to get a little jaded and particular about how you want certain things prepared? Apparently, yes. While both lesser known and famous chefs like José Andrés support each other's businesses, when it comes to the average eatery, there are items they just won't bother ordering. According to Yahoo! Life, the No. 1 dish in this category for Andrés is fried eggs. 

Andrés feels that no one, it seems, actually knows how to make a good fried egg. It might seem like a simple enough task, but the chef points out some common flaws. He wishes people would pay more attention to the oil, making sure it's warm before placing the egg in the pan, which could help with those desirable crispy edges. He also zeroes in on the secret of adding salt to the egg white right where it meets the yolk, as he notes that is "where the coagulation happens with more difficulty and the salt allows the coagulation to happen quickly."

Using what we know about fried eggs and José Andrés' specific critiques, we can figure out what makes a perfect fried egg and what to look for when we order this dish out at restaurants. Maybe we luck out with a fried egg-expert chef, or maybe we follow Andrés' lead and stick to making our own ideal version at home. You want those crisped edges that are a bit caramelized for a sweet yet savory crunch, you want a tender egg white, and you want a yolk that's not loose and watery but instead rich and buttery. We've tried multiple egg-frying methods to find the best one, which hinges on a good pan and butter as the fat. But there are ways to make fried eggs even better, which zero in on time, temperature, and adding boosts like garlic, herbs, and hot sauce. 

Of course, chefs in Andrés' celebrity circle have also weighed in on fried eggs and their preferred methods for flawless results. Gordon Ramsay's trick for perfect fried eggs is to just use butter as the fat, too — butter seems to be a popular approach because of the creamy texture and rich flavor it adds. Michael Symon's ideal fried egg process also calls on butter and avoids the risky flip, instead of steaming eggs with a lid for an over-easy finish. And for J. Kenji López-Alt, the best fried-egg method utilizes oil and high heat.