The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (248 page)
Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
SERVES 4 TO 6
Rinsing and patting the sun-dried tomatoes dry prevents them from making the eggs greasy.
12 | large eggs |
6 | tablespoons half-and-half |
³⁄ | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
2 | teaspoons olive oil |
¹⁄ | onion, chopped fine |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
5 | ounces baby arugula (5 cups), cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
¹⁄ | cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, patted dry, and chopped fine |
3 | ounces goat cheese, crumbled (³⁄ |
1.
Beat eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper with fork in medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
2.
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and pepper flakes and cook until onion has softened, about 2 minutes. Add arugula and cook, stirring gently, until arugula begins to wilt, 30 to 60 seconds. Spread mixture in single layer on medium plate; set aside.
3.
Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Add butter to now-empty skillet and melt over medium heat, swirling to coat pan. Pour in egg mixture. With heatproof rubber spatula, stir eggs constantly, slowly pushing them from side to side, scraping along bottom and sides of skillet, and lifting and folding eggs as they form curds (do not overscramble or curds formed will be too small). Cook until large curds form but eggs are still very moist, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, gently fold in arugula mixture and sun-dried tomatoes until evenly distributed; if eggs are still underdone, return skillet to medium heat for no longer than 30 seconds. Divide eggs among individual plates, sprinkle with goat cheese, and serve immediately.
SERVES 4 TO 6
If your asparagus spears are very thick, after halving them lengthwise, cut them on the bias into ³⁄
8
-inch lengths, slightly smaller than indicated below.
12 | large eggs |
6 | tablespoons half-and-half |
³⁄ | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
1 | teaspoon vegetable oil |
8 | ounces asparagus, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut on bias into ¹⁄ |
1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
3 | ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (¹⁄ |
1.
Beat eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper with fork in medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
2.
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender but still crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Spread asparagus in single layer on medium plate; set aside.
3.
Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Add butter to now-empty skillet and melt over medium heat, swirling to coat pan. Pour in egg mixture. With heatproof rubber spatula, stir eggs constantly, slowly pushing them from side to side, scraping along bottom and sides of skillet, and lifting and folding eggs as they form curds (do not over-scramble eggs or curds will be too small). Cook until large curds form but eggs are still very moist, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, gently fold in prosciutto, Parmesan, and asparagus until evenly distributed; if eggs are still underdone, return skillet to medium heat for no longer than 30 seconds. Divide eggs among individual plates and serve immediately.
SERVES 4 TO 6
We prefer sweet Italian sausage here, especially for breakfast, but you can substitute spicy sausage, if desired.
12 | large eggs |
6 | tablespoons half-and-half |
³⁄ | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
1 | teaspoon vegetable oil |
8 | ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, sausage crumbled into ¹⁄ |
1 | red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¹⁄ |
3 | scallions, white and green parts separated, both sliced thin on bias |
1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
1¹⁄ | ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (¹⁄ |
1.
Beat eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper with fork in medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
2.
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook, breaking into ¹⁄
2
-inch pieces until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and scallion whites; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is cooked through and pepper is beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Spread mixture in single layer on medium plate; set aside.
3.
Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Add butter to now-empty skillet and melt over medium heat, swirling to coat pan. Pour in egg mixture. With heatproof rubber spatula, stir eggs constantly, slowly pushing them from side to side, scraping along bottom and sides of skillet, and lifting and folding eggs as they form curds (do not overscramble or curds formed will be too small). Cook until large curds form but eggs are still very moist, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, gently fold in sausage mixture and cheddar until evenly distributed; if eggs are still underdone, return skillet to medium heat for no longer than 30 seconds. Divide eggs among individual plates, sprinkle with scallion greens, and serve immediately.
EGG SUBSTITUTIONS
Eggs are widely available in four sizes, but here in the test kitchen, we develop and test all of our recipes using only large eggs. If you do not have large eggs on hand, substitutions are possible. See the chart for help in making accurate calculations. For half of an egg, whisk the yolk and white together, measure, and then divide in half.
LARGE | JUMBO | EXTRA-LARGE | MEDIUM | |
1 | = | 1 | 1 | 1 |
2 | = | 1¹⁄ | 2 | 2 |
3 | = | 2¹⁄ | 2¹⁄ | 3¹⁄ |
4 | = | 3 | 3¹⁄ | 4¹⁄ |
5 | = | 4 | 4 | 6 |
6 | = | 5 | 5 | 7 |
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Anyone can make fried eggs, but few and far between are the cooks who can make them perfectly every time. Eggs can stick to the pan, yolks can break, and over- or undercooked eggs seem to be the norm. We decided to eliminate the guesswork and figure out the best and easiest way to fry the perfect egg every time. For us, this meant a firm white and a yolk that was thick yet still runny. We discovered that the first thing to do is to reach for a nonstick pan. The initial heat setting is also important. Preheating the pan over very low heat puts it at just the right temperature to receive the eggs, which should be added all at once. Cover the pan as soon as the eggs are added and cook just a couple of minutes for perfect fried eggs every time.
SERVES 4
Since burners vary, it may take an egg or two before you determine the ideal heat setting for frying eggs on your stovetop. It’s important to follow visual cues, as pan thickness will have an effect on cooking times.
4 | large eggs |
1 | tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over low heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, crack open 2 eggs into cup or small bowl; crack remaining 2 eggs into second cup or small bowl. Add butter to skillet, let melt, and swirl to coat pan.
2.
Working quickly, pour 2 eggs into skillet on one side and remaining 2 eggs on opposite side. Season eggs with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and cook about 2¹⁄
2
minutes for runny yolks, 3 minutes for soft but set yolks, or 3¹⁄
2
minutes for firmly set yolks. Slide eggs onto plate; serve.
To get all eggs into pan at once, crack eggs into 2 cups and slide eggs into hot skillet simultaneously.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Omelets seem simple, but cooking the eggs properly in a hot pan can be a delicate matter. Add cheese, which must melt before the omelet turns brown and rubbery, and you’ve got a truly temperamental dish on your hands. We wanted a foolproof cooking method for a creamy, supple omelet with perfectly melted cheese that didn’t leak all over the pan. We found a good-quality nonstick skillet and an easy-melting cheese were essential. A heatproof rubber spatula kept the eggs from tearing as we shaped the omelet with the sides of the pan. This technique gave us the omelet we had been looking for; moist and creamy with plenty of perfectly melted cheese.
See “MAKING A FILLED OMELET” illustrations that follow recipe.