Eggs are a hot topic, lately. You’d think that cooking an egg would be the simplest thing in the world, but it’s not so easy to get over-easy every time. We love soft-cooked eggs for breakfast (and sometimes even supper) at our house, and even now, I keep looking for a formula to make the perfect breakfast eggs – soft, fluffy whites, yolks that ooze without running all over the plate. I think I finally got it.

I was watching one of those ubiquitous food/travel shows on TV, not too long ago, and saw someone making something called a “basted egg”. When I looked up the process, I ran across several different methods, one of which called for cooking the egg in the bacon grease left from frying bacon, then basting it with the grease while cooking. Definitely not for me.

I needed a method that’s quick and fairly fuss-free. I’m calling this “Basted Eggs”, but I think it’s really a hybrid of frying and poaching, and the best part? No flipping and no busted yolks!

Light Basted Eggs
(I make these 2 at a time)

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp butter or margarine
2 eggs
salt & pepper
2 Tbs. water

Special equipment: Small non-stick omelet or sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid, a toothpick or sharp paring knife.

Method:

Heat the butter or margarine in the pan over medium-high heat, till just sizzling. Break the eggs into the pan gently (or into a dish, then slide into the pan). Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Poke each egg yolk just once with the toothpick or knife tip, add the water to the pan around the edge of the whites, and immediately cover the pan with the lid. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until your desired doneness – about 2 minutes for soft and runny, 3 minutes for medium, 4 minutes for firm.

Remove from heat and uncover. Give the pan a bit of a shake, then slide the eggs out of the pan onto your plate. Here, I’m serving them over a bed of buttered white rice (which is my husband’s thing, lately), but of course, you can serve them accompanied by whatever you like.

Wait for it…

Wait for it…

I’m thinkin’ E.T. or that alien, Paul, in that new Area 51 movie…