Fried eggs will be thicker and have more flavour with 1 simple step before cooking

There is a simple way to ensure you get a good result

Fried eggs make a wonderful addition to a full English breakfast, a filling lunch, or a substantial dinner. They are a staple of numerous dishes, from salads and burgers to crowning a croque Madame or completing a noodle stir-fry.

Eggs can be prepared with a gently set, slightly runny yolk, crisped at the edges, or turned over-easy. That said, fried eggs don’t always turn out quite as good as we’d like.

While they rank amongst the easiest foods to make, various elements can affect the final outcome. Hens’ eggs tend to be more manageable to cook than ducks’ eggs, making them the favoured option for most.

To prevent ending up with a flat, thin fried egg, choosing the freshest eggs possible is crucial. BBC Good Food said: “The fresher an egg, the stronger the proteins are in the white, which means the egg will form into a neater shape in the frying pan.”

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“Old eggs will spread out very thinly.” It is certainly worth checking you are using the freshest batch before you start, as older eggs can produce underwhelming results.

Eggs can be fried in any type of fat, though it’s best to choose one that suits the flavour you’re aiming for. When making a full English, use the remaining bacon fat or a knob of butter.

For more indulgent dishes, choose olive or rapeseed oil. When frying eggs for a nasi goreng or dhal, coconut oil contributes a touch of flavour.

How to make a fried egg

Ingredients

• One fresh egg at room temperature
• One small knob of butter or one tbsp oil

Method

If using butter, warm it in your frying pan until it melts but before it begins to brown. For oil, simply heat it in the frying pan.

Crack the egg onto a small plate or saucer. Be sure not to crack it directly into the pan as the shell could end up in your food.

Gently slide your egg from the plate or saucer into the pan.

Place a lid on top and leave it for three minutes over a low heat. Check that the white has set.

If it hasn’t, allow it to cook for a further 30 seconds before checking once more.

The whites should be fully set while the yolk remains gloriously runny. Season the egg to taste and serve.