Why You Should Heat Your Metal Spatula In Oil Before Frying Eggs

If you like your eggs sunny side up or over easy, then you know just how soul-crushing a broken yolk can be. You cook the egg just long enough to achieve a gorgeous-but-precarious orb ensphering all the runny goodness of the yolk, only to hoist your masterpiece in the air and have an oozy, yellow waterfall ruin your breakfast dreams. Figuring out where you've gone wrong can even leave you feeling slightly cracked yourself as you exceed that one egg a day limit in your quest for eggy perfection.

If your egg sticks to the spatula, then we have a suggestion that might make your next egg venture go over a little easier. Simply try heating your metal spatula in the same oil you will be using to cook the eggs. Just add oil to the pan and then heat your spatula in it. 

After the spatula has warmed up to the same temperature as your pan, you are ready to add the eggs. This way, according to chef José Andrés (via Mental Floss), the eggs won't stick to the spatula. If egg problems have been plaguing you, then this trick might help you achieve your first fully-intact fried egg yolk.

Unless you've spent time in a diner kitchen perfecting your craft, cooking eggs can be tricky. From how high to set the heat to how long to leave them in the pan, there are a lot of variables that can trip you up. Luckily, TV personality and food scientist Alton Brown has already done most of the homework for us.

According to Brown's Perfect Eggs Over Easy recipe on Food Network, you should never crack eggs directly into a pan, because cracking them into the pan causes them to cook unevenly. If you're not planning on scrambling your eggs, then Brown has another tip to keep the egg white from spreading out: after adding the eggs to the pan, lift the pan's handle high enough so that the eggs pool slightly on the far side of the pan.

Now comes the hard part. If you're attempting eggs over easy — and perhaps the only egg recipe that makes us more nervous are poached eggs — Brown has one more tip: when you go in for the first flip, push the pan away from you and quickly pop up the far edge of the pan. The key is to try to bring the pan up a little to meet the food and soften the landing, avoiding breaking the yolk. And if you do still break the yolk, we recommend turning it into a fried egg sandwich and no one will be the wiser!