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This is how I always cook my eggs. I think it's technically called basting, at least that's what my dad has always called it. It's a great way to cook an egg! I cook them on the medium side of low heat, and I use a glass lid so I can keep an eye on how set the yolks are becoming. When they just start to turn a little white on top, I turn the heat off and just jiggle the pan to see how set they're getting. I end up with set whites and perfectly oozy yolks.

Also, I should add that very little liquid is needed. Sometimes, just the condensation from having a lid on is enough.

yup. we call it steam-fried eggs at home. sprinkle a little cheese and chile powder (ancho or something) and you have a beautiful egg that goes with black beans and some tortillas.

Yes! My mom has done this since I can remember... it's one of the little home-cooking "tricks" she passed on to me!

The old cook in the Selah diner threw an ice cube under the lid rather than water. As the ice melted, the steam perfectly set the egg and kept splattering to a minium. I tried the icecube, fry-poach method with salmon and loved the end product. Do give the ice cube under the lid rather than water a try.

Dont stop pushing the steam basted egg there. Ice or a table spoon of water are great for your basic egg but really anything constituted with a little water will do. Just remember to have a pan large enough to accomodate the eggs and the other. If the other is something like a thick and spicy cherry tomato sauce make sure its in the pan at the same time as the eggs so it has time to heat through and steam baste the eggs without overcooking them. Remove eggs finish the sauce in the pan top the eggs.

great idea

i've never heard of this, awesome!

Yes! Really helps speed up a sunny-side-up too! I use a lid as well.

Love this idea-thank you!

I learned it from my mom, and taught it to my husband. A lifetime of perfect eggs.

I thought this was the only proper way to cook an egg sunny-side-up? I'm going to have to check, but I believe that's how my Mom's old Betty Crocker cookbook teaches this technique. One teaspoon of water per egg, if I remember correctly. I don't fry eggs too often, since I prefer poached or coddled.

"Croque Jardin"..... How weird! I had never heard of this before and then this morning I thought, you know what would be good? Dry toast, a layer of friend tomato, and then a fried egg...
And (weirdly), I only JUST started eating fried eggs.

Someone out there has me on satellite.. 0.o

You do of course realize this is precisely the method used to make egg-mcmuffins, only with a runny yolk.

Heard of it, never tried it. I'm going to have to, though; it sounds fabulous.

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yes! this is exactly the technique i described in my parmesean polenta with mushrooms entry. super easy!

I always do this! Didn't know it had a fancy name.

I like sunny side up eggs, but sometimes the whites won't set completely around the yolk. So I do this until the yolk gets smoky looking. That way the yolk is still runny but the whites are completely set.

I like runny yolks but Betty's instructions seem to give timings for firm yolks.

No matter, I like poached but can't always time them right and the yolks end up harder than I would like. I've started off frying them with a little butter if I'm being naughty and fry-light if not. The see-through lid to my pan helps me see how they are doing. Oddly enough it's an idea I came up with a little while ago. Amusing to see people have been doing that for like ever.

Like the ice cube idea here on AT though, will try that to see how it helps it along

Here's a link to Betty's how-to

http://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/charts-and-guides/Cooking-Charts/Egg-Cooking-Chart.htm