Notes
I eat eggs almost every day. And one of my favorite things about eggs is that they provide a vehicle for endless experimentation with technique and flavors. I find myself cycling through different ways of preparing eggs— scrambles, omelettes, poached, etc— but this one has been a favorite as of late.
I first tried this particular way of making eggs when I traveled to Spain. They’re fried over pretty high heat in a bunch of olive oil, and the result is a beautiful combination of textures— the bottoms get crispy and golden-brown, the whites set perfectly, and the yolks become jammy and soft.
I like to pair these with chile flakes and a hard shaved cheese. My favorite chile to use here is Masienda’s chile tusta (which is unfortunately out of stock at the moment). Burlap and Barrel and Boonville Barn have some amazing chile powders, as well. Parmesan, pecorino, queso añejo, and manchego are all great options on the dairy side.
That said, this technique is super versatile. These would be perfect with just hot sauce or salsa macha, on top of a sweet potato hash, or over a rice bowl.
Ingredients
- 2-3 eggs
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- salt
(optional)
- any good hard cheese
- chile flakes
Process
Start by heating a pan over medium-high heat.
Stainless steel is best here, but carbon steel and cast iron work, as well. You can use a ceramic pan if need be, but I wouldn’t recommend doing this with any kind of coated non-stick.
When the pan is hot, add in a tbsp or so of olive oil. You want to add plenty of oil to coat the pan in a thin layer.
Pour your eggs into the pan. They should start to sizzle and bubble up immediately.
Sprinkle some salt over the top of them.
Swirl the pan and move it around a bit to distribute heat evenly. By swirling the oil around the pan, you allow it to coat the entire outside of the eggs, and some oil will even start to wash over the top of the eggs, helping to cook that side.
Cook for another two minutes or so, moving the pan around and swirling occasionally, until the edges of the bottom start to brown and really crisp up. You can even use a spoon to baste some of the hot oil over the eggs to help cook the tops.
The whites of the eggs should be bubbled up and cooked through, and the yolks should be just barely set.
Turn off the heat and shave a big layer of cheese over the top of the eggs.
If you want the eggs to be cooked just a bit more, you can leave them in the pan for another minute or so to continue cooking from the residual heat.
Using a spatula, transfer the eggs to a plate. Sprinkle a bunch of chile powder over the top of the eggs, and add more shaved cheese, if need be.
Enjoy!
