Why You Should Be Frying Eggs In Olive Oil

We see it all the time in the movies; a classic breakfast to start the day. There in front of you sits a plate full of eggs with a side of toast and a cup of coffee steaming in the morning sunlight. But what kind of eggs are they? Scrambled, poached, or hard-boiled? There are over a hundred different ways to cook an egg and yet one always seems to ensnare the minds and stomachs of chefs and breakfast tables around the world: the fried egg.

Fried eggs seem to be a part of every culture in the world from an Indian shakshuka to a classic Spanish fry. There is something enchanting about an egg with gold lace crackling around its edges, firm whites, and a soft yoke to dip into. According to the BBC Good Food Blog, eggs are an egg-celent way to start the day with their high nutrition, protein, and vitamin value — and a fried egg is no exception. But, as it turns out, there is arguably something better than butter to fry your egg in, and that's olive oil.

Martha Stewart's recipe for fried eggs involves only three ingredients: olive oil, eggs, and salt. Simplicity is best so that you might actually experience the richness of the oil, the contrasting textures of the egg, and the subtle balance of the salt. Stewart's instructions detail that to have a perfectly fried egg, you must put a pool of olive oil on medium heat until it is nice and hot, then crack the egg in, leaving it alone until the edges begin to crisp. And don't feel bad about adding a little extra oil into the pan. Bon Appétit assures us that olive oil is healthier compared to the butter most people use on eggs, so it evens itself out. 

After seeing the rim of the egg lace up, tilt the pan so that the oil pools in one corner, and using a spoon, scoop the oil onto the egg whites. Finally, don't forget to season with salt. It's that easy. But there are a few tricks Stewart doesn't list that will help your fried eggs turn out perfect.

Use room temperature eggs. Robert Irvine, Food Network host and celebrity chef, divulges that using eggs right out of the refrigerator will make them steam themselves while frying, meaning that your yoke won't be as runny and the edges won't be as crispy.

Another key is picking out the right kind of olive oil. Cooking eggs with olive oil is considered to be a healthier opinion when compared with butter (via Live Strong). The Olive Oil Source details exactly what kinds of benefits different olive oils have. Extra virgin seems to be the best for fried eggs because it has the highest smoke point. In addition, when oil is heated in the frying process, the natural flavor will be reduced so it's okay to buy oil with less flavor if you're just going to use it to fry.

Now that you have the basics, let's get cracking!