How to Steam-Fry an Egg

With as many vegan recipes as I post, I really do love eggs, and I particularly love fried eggs.  Eggs over easy with crispy hash browns and whole wheat toast is such a comforting meal for me.  Not even as a breakfast - I'm more of a cereal kind of girl - but more for lunch or dinner when nothing else sounds good.

I was always afraid of making fried eggs at home because I didn't want to flip the egg, accidentally break the yolk, and basically end up with a big mess instead of a meal.  And while I know in my heart that they cook my eggs in butter at the diner, I have a hard time watching them sizzle away in fat at home.

I've discovered that there is another way.  It's called "steam-frying." You can do it with all kinds of foods, but I love using the method for fried eggs.  It's kind of a cross between poaching (which I also love, but is a bit of a hassle as well) and frying.  And yes, eggs have a lot of cholesterol, but they're also a good source of protein and nutrients, so enjoy your butter-free steam-fried egg!

Here's what you need to steam-fry an egg:
Frying pan with a lid, non-stick if you have one
Cooking Spray - I use the canola oil variety, but olive oil spray works too
1 large organic egg*
1 teaspoon water

*You can make more than one egg at a time, but I would start with one to get some practice.

1. Heat the pan over medium-high heat.  Spray the pan with cooking spray.  Break the egg into a small bowl, and then quickly pour the egg out of the bowl into the middle of your pan.  Lower the heat to just below medium and let the egg cook for just one minute uncovered. The white of the egg should start to turn white, but the top shouldn't be set yet.

 

2.  Pour the teaspoon of water around the edges of the egg, cover the pan, and turn the heat down to low.  Cook the egg one more minute.

When you take the cover off of the pan.  Your egg should be done.  The white of the egg should be set, but the yolk should still be runny.  Use a spatula to transfer the egg to your plate (and be careful not to break the yolk in the process).

I like to eat my eggs with Tabasco sauce, but serve them however you like!

Here are the nutrition facts for one large egg (the light spray of vegetable oil cooking spray shouldn't alter the nutrition facts much):

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 50 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  72 Calories from Fat  45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  5.0g 8%

Saturated Fat  1.6g 8%

Cholesterol  212mg 71%

Sodium  70mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates  0.4g 0%

Protein  6.3g

Vitamin A 5% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 3% • Iron 5%