How to cook egg over medium? If I were you, I would go for egg over well. It’s more forgiving than egg over medium. A few seconds delay won’t matter much.
Yet, you want the yolk a little runny and a little gummy. Few seconds too early and it will be too runny. While a few seconds too late and it might be dry and crumbly. That’s what you want so let’s start.
Muster your patience and diligence, because you need it for accuracy.
To accurately cook egg over medium. You should have a nonstick pan. Ceramic or Teflon, either is fine if in good condition. No scratches and broken coating. A well seasoned cast iron or carbon steel skillet can help you to achieve the same feat.
Don’t forget your trusty stove. A calibrated stove will allow you to have accurate control over the heat.
Then, let’s get started for real.
Choosing the right equipment
Cooking over medium eggs needs consistency. Practice and patience are the keys. You’re going to break a few to a lot of eggs but that’s okay. It’s not like you’re going to throw all the missteps.
I urge you to get three things before practicing.
Nonstick frying pan.
Either ceramic or Teflon is fine. The temperature for cooking eggs is not enough to damage either Teflon or ceramic.
Seasoned pan.
I suggest a nonstick pan to save you from the trouble. However, if you’re a cast iron pan lover, you won’t have any problem. A well-seasoned pan won’t stick to eggs.
Trusty stove.
If you set it to low, it should be accurately low every time. If it randomly changes on its own, you’ll end up having brown to burnt egg. Have the stove check by a repairman. The new generation induction cooker is great on how to learn how to cook over medium eggs.
Why Does the Egg Stick to the Pan?
The egg sticks to the pan because as the egg cooks, its proteins form a bond with the metal. Then making it impossible for you to flip it over. Instead, you’ll end up with a badly cooked scrambled egg.
To prevent sticking, the heat should be high enough to coagulate the protein quickly, not allowing time for protein to form a bond with the metal. But, your egg will sizzle and turn crispy and brown.
Substitute for egg yolk? Read my article about it.
Maintain Your Pan
Pan integrity is vital for perfect over medium eggs. Squeeze some time for maintenance.
Care for nonstick pan.
Use a nonstick spatula for flipping eggs, not the regular metal. Clean with a gentle soap and a hand rub, not with any scrubbing pad.
Teflon melting point is around 327ºC. I guess you won’t go anywhere near that temperature for cooking eggs.
How to season your pan.
You’re lucky if you got it pre-seasoned. Rinse it under running water and it’s ready to use.
Cast iron or carbon steel pan, unless you get them pre-seasoned, needs seasoning. It’s prone to rusting and you can’t cook with them well. Season the pan with the following steps.
- Clean it well and heat up over a stove.
- Apply a little flaxseed oil and rub throughout. It should be a nice thin layer without any drips.
- Turn the heat to high until the oil reaches its smoking point. It turns black and adheres to pan surface.
- Let cool and repeat the process until the pan gets an even black coating.
Flaxseed oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids. By heating, it reaches smoking point, polymerizes, and bonds to the pan surface, forming the seasoned coating.
Don’t rush. You may need to repeat the process up to 11 times. And after every cooking task, remember to maintain your pan.
How to Make Over Medium Eggs Without Breaking the Yolk
Over medium egg has fully cooked white but has a slightly runny yolk, without the crispy and chewy edge. Making it takes about 3 minutes and a few repetitions if you’re a newbie.
- To cook an egg over medium, start with low-medium heat. Adjust to low if you’re not comfortable yet.
- Place the pan of choice and drizzle with oil. Crack the egg into the pan, taking care not to break the yolk.
- Keep on watch, slide the pan to center the egg over the flame. If you feel the heat is too high, lift the pan to cool it off a bit. If the egg sizzles, get another egg and repeat.
- The egg cooks from side to the middle. Touch the white to test for firmness. It’s not hot enough to cause burnt fingers. So relax.
- When all the white is firm, tilt the pan forward to nudge the egg to the edge, and plop it over. You’re going to miss a few times before perfection. If you’re more comfortable with a spatula, then use it instead.
I hope you now know how to cook egg over medium. A few more practice and you can do it without breaking a sweat.
Poached Egg Over Medium
How to make over medium eggs without breaking the yolk is a bit troublesome to follow. You then decided to make poached egg over medium instead. You think it’s easier and I think so too.
To make poached egg over medium, follow the steps.
- Set a pot with 5 inches of water to a boil. Cool down for a minute and swirl.
- In a small fine strainer, break the egg and then pour it into the vortex.
- Let it rotate for about 3 minutes and scoop with a slotted ladle.
You have to use fresh eggs. For older eggs, ugly whiskers form due to watery egg whites. Breaking the egg into the strainer removes them.
Conclusion
How’s your cooking? If you haven’t got any good results yet, maybe you only need more practice.
Maybe it’s not your fault. The pan coating has worn off and you need to get a replacement. The cast iron skillet needs re-seasoning. Or, the trusty stove is not trusty anymore.
After sorting all the problems, let’s do a topic recap. How to cook egg over medium.
Say no to old eggs. They have water white that will scatter around the pan. It’s hard to lift and flip without breakage. Newer eggs are less watery, scatter less, and therefore easier to flip.
Also, newer eggs form less whiskers upon poaching.
If you’re having a hard time flipping eggs, it keeps on breaking and going out-of-bounds. Then, do the no flip trick.
Get a pan with a glass cover. When you feel the egg is ready for flipping, pour a tbsp of water beside the egg. Cover the pan. Then wait until the white has covered the yolk.
Poached egg over medium, on the other hand, relies on temperature and timing. Keep a thermometer and timer handy. Record every trial and repeat the trial that works.
Practice and more practice.
Read my post on cooking boiled egg!
