Eggs To Order’ Recipe

Prepare ingredients

Bring eggs to room temperature for 10 minutes if you have time (helps even cooking). Crack eggs into a small bowl or ramekin and season with a pinch of the salt and a few grinds of pepper. If making scrambled eggs, add the milk or cream and whisk until blended; for fried, leave eggs whole in separate ramekins.

Choose the cook style

Decide the desired style: soft scrambled (creamy, slightly runny), fully set scrambled, sunny-side up, over-easy, over-medium, over-hard, poached, or soft/medium/hard boiled. The following directions cover fried (sunny-side/over), scrambled (soft & fully set), and poached.

Fried (sunny-side / over-easy to over-hard)

Heat a 8-10 inch nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add butter and let it melt and foam but not brown (about 30–60 seconds). Gently slide the egg(s) from the ramekin into the pan. For sunny-side up: cook undisturbed 2–3 minutes until whites are set but yolks are still runny; cover the pan for 30–60 seconds to help whites fully set if needed. For over-easy: when whites are set at edges but still slightly glossy on top (about 2–3 minutes), gently flip using a thin spatula and cook 15–30 seconds more. For over-medium: flip and cook 45–60 seconds. For over-hard: flip and cook 90–120 seconds until yolk fully set. Season with remaining salt and pepper just after cooking.

Scrambled (soft / fully set)

Heat skillet over low to medium-low heat and add butter. When butter foams, pour in whisked egg mixture. Let set for a few seconds at the edges, then using a rubber spatula scrape and fold eggs from the edges to center repeatedly, forming large soft curds. For soft creamy scrambled eggs: remove from heat when they are still slightly underdone (slightly glossy) — carryover heat will finish them (about 3–4 minutes total). For fully set scrambled eggs: continue folding until no liquid remains and eggs are cooked through (about 4–6 minutes). Season at the end with remaining salt and pepper.

Poached (quick method)

Bring a wide shallow pan of water to a gentle simmer (not rolling boil) and add a teaspoon of vinegar (optional, helps whites hold). Crack each egg into a small ramekin. Create a gentle whirlpool with a spoon and slip the egg into the center; cook 3 minutes for a runny yolk (soft-poached), 4 minutes for medium, and 5–6 minutes for firm. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towel, and season.

Boiled (if requested)

For soft-boiled: place eggs in simmering water and cook 5–6 minutes, for medium 7–8 minutes, for hard 10–12 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath for 1 minute (soft) or 5 minutes (hard) to stop cooking and ease peeling.

Toast bread or English muffin. Butter if desired. Place cooked eggs on the toast (or on a plate). Sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley and add a final grind of black pepper. Serve immediately with hot sauce or ketchup on the side if desired.