Eggs Sunny Side Up

Credit: Penny De Los Santos

The sunny-side-up egg is the symbol par excellence of the traditional American breakfast, and no wonder: this preparation showcases better than any other the egg's inner beauty. The act of making this dish is a simple one, and yet the achieving of evenly cooked eggs with unbroken yolks calls for a careful touch. This simple recipe makes use of a couple of methods to ensure that the eggs cook to perfection without sticking or burning.

1. Crack 1 egg into a small bowl.

2. Grease an 8" nonstick skillet with 1 tbsp. unsalted butter and heat over medium-low heat until the butter just begins to foam, about 1 minute. (If cooking 2 eggs, follow the same process using a 10" nonstick skillet.) Gently slide the egg into the skillet and cook until the white just begins to set on the bottom of the pan, 3–4 minutes.

3. Cover and continue to cook until the white is completely set and the yolk becomes firm but remains shiny and bright yellow, about 1 more minute.

4. Using a rubber spatula, gently slide the cooked egg onto a plate. Serves 1.