Fork it Over | Eggs Two Ways (tutorial)

You guys. I know it's been forever since I've done a Fork it Over (to be honest, I haven't been cooking much of late, and the things I have cooked have been old recipes I've already shared! Or, like, heating up sausages with some spinach and calling it Paleo) but today I will redeem myself! Being the self-appointed egg aficionado of both my family home and my apartment family, I thought it was about time to show you how I do eggs, two ways: over easy and poached.

If you'd like to figure out how to go from this --

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to this --

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then, come along for the ride inside the rest of this post!

First, you need eggs. Shocking, I know! I like farm raised and organic and no abusing the chickens, etc. But really, any egg will do (sadly.)

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Eggs Over Easy

Grease your pan - I like using a smallish skillet, so that the eggs don't spread out too far but you have some room to maneuver your spatula. Just a heads up, the pros use a flat griddle or do their eggs one at a time to make them look so round. Ours aren't going to look like that today - this is realist cooking here, folks!

Anyway, grease your pan with cooking spray or a bit of butter, whichever you prefer.

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Crack your eggs into a small bowl ahead of time so you can catch any shells (although, did you know you're supposed to crack them on a flat surface to get a better break? Fascinating!) and so they'll pour together into the pan.

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Once your pan has been heating a bit (over medium heat, we don't want them to cook too quickly!) for a minute or two, pour those puppies in there. The eggs, not real puppies - do I have to explain everything to you?

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Now, here's the key - let them cook long enough that the egg white has turned completely white on the underside. The top can still be a bit translucent, but seeing that solid white lets you know the egg is ready to be flipped without falling apart.

Because our eggs are together and not separated on a griddle, we have to cut a little line down the middle of our pan so we can flip them one at a time...

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Maneuver your spatula under that little guy, gently but swiftly enough that the egg doesn't have time to catch on the spatula and break. Sometimes I'll wiggle it a little side to side while moving it forward under the egg to really get a good grip!

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Aaaand, flip! Keep the spatula low to the pan and just turn it over quickly, not lightening speed but don't go too slowly either or the egg will kind of flop. Just do a little wrist turn and a flip so the top side of the egg can get cooked.

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Let that sit for about thirty seconds for over-easy eggs, longer for well done eggs, then turn off the pan and dish out your reward!

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If you're feeling really generous, you can serve them to your family. Or, practice on your family! Either way, the eggs will still taste delicious.

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Poached Eggs

This one... is a little trickier, and I'm still aiming to make those beautiful restaurant quality poached eggs. But this method will definitely get the job done, without the extra grease of cooking spray or butter, and will still give you that beautiful runny yellow inside that I love so much.

You can do this in a deeper dish but sometimes it's hard to control if there's too much water, so I started a few inches of water in my same skillet as before. Bring the water to a light boil, and add a teaspoon of vinegar to help keep the egg whites together. You won't taste it, I promise!

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Dole out your eggs in a dish again...

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And, once your water is at a small boil, roll your eggs into the pan as gently as possible! You don't want to plunk or plonk or splat them into the water. This is supposed to be soothing for these little guys.

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If the eggs are not completely submerged (like you see here, they are not) you can take a spoon and spoon some of the hot water onto the tops. Do not stir the eggs or jostle them too much, and make sure you're at a light boil, not a heavy rolling boil!

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When they look as "done" as you'd like them to be (with the egg white cooked around the yolk), use a slotted spoon or spatula to lift them out of the water and plate them.

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Serve with toast for dipping, and hot sauce if you'd like, and enjoy!

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Now, you know how to make eggs two ways! Congratulations. I'm so proud of yous guys.