savoury

deep-fried eggs

Your new favourite way to cook eggs. Deep-fried for a minute or two, the outside gets crispy, while the yolk stays lovely and runny.

I make these when I already have a pan of oil going, cooking some other decadent deep-fried treat. The egg does not absorb the oil, so you eat about as much oil as you would with a regular fried egg.

recipe

Serves 2 (topping)
Prep/cook time: 15 minutes

ingredients

2-4 medium eggs
1 litre sunflower oil

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Technique: The freshness of the eggs matters for this recipe. The fresher the eggs, the less they will have separated into watery whites and more solid whites. When the white is more unified, the eggs will stay together better in the hot oil.

instructions

Heat the frying oil in a large pan over high heat to 160ºC.
Crack one egg into a mini sieve or small cup with a handle and carefully slide the egg into the hot oil – watch out for spitting oil.
Repeat with the other eggs. You may need to work in two batches, depending on how big your pan is – the eggs need a little room between each other to fry properly.
Cook for a minute or two, turning once, until the outside is a little crispy, the white is no longer jiggly and the yolk is still lovely and runny.
Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

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Technique: Deep-frying is an art form. If the oil is too hot, the egg might break apart, so use an instant thermometer to make sure the temperature is 160ºC. Cook for a minute or two, turning once, until the outside is a little crispy, the white is no longer jiggly and the yolk is still lovely and runny.Drain the eggs really well on plenty of kitchen paper to reduce the oil content.

recipe notes

serving ideas

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve on toast or as part of a spectacular brunch.
Also great on top of Thai-style curry dishes.

storage

Eat immediately.

food styling tips

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Choose eggs with a richly coloured orange yolk – typically eggs from higher welfare chickens with a more varied diet.