How to cook an egg perfectly every time – from fried to scrambled to poached

Mastering how to cook an egg is probably the most important lesson you can learn in the kitchen. Apart from boiling water (which, let’s face it, is pretty straightforward), no other skill comes close.

However, as anyone who’s tried and failed to make a romantic breakfast in bed knows, the situation is much more complicated than cracking open a shell and hoping for the best.

Cooking an egg perfectly varies according to the method (Credit: Pexels)

How to cook an egg perfectly every time

Fortunately for anyone in need of egg-ssistance, the Twisted team are here to help. Gathered from expert advice in our own kitchen and beyond, we’ve prepared five tips for egg cookery.

READ MORE: Can you cook a full English in the slow cooker?

Even if you’ve never been in a kitchen before, this guide will see you right. Here are our suggestions for how to cook an egg perfectly every time.

There are a few key techniques when frying an egg (Credit: Pexels)

1. Fried

Fried eggs are the perfect way to wake up in the morning. Unfortunately, if done badly, they’re also more than capable of ruining an entire day.

The key to getting fried eggs right is temperature. Eggs should be slipped gently into a nonstick pan of hot butter, at which point the heat should be turned down immediately to low.

This will allow the eggs to cook evenly and ensure that the end result is not tough and rubbery.

It’s very easy to make bad scrambled eggs (Credit: Alamy/Weyo)

2. Scrambled

It’s easy to get carried away with scrambled eggs, throwing every ingredient under the sun at them until there’s almost nothing eggy left. For awesome scrambled eggs, however, you need simplicity.

When you’ve whisked your eggs, do not add milk, as this will produce the strange clear liquid that can often coat the bottom of a pan. Instead, cook on a low heat in a pan of melted butter, seasoning as you go to taste.

The slower and lower you go, the better the consistency of your final result. Try finishing with some chopped chives for a splash of colour.

Soft boiled eggs require precise technique (Credit: Pexels)

3. Soft Boiled

For any type of boiled egg, timing is everything. It’s almost impossible to get your eggs right without some sort of stopwatch or kitchen timer, so using one is an absolute must.

To deliver perfect soft boiled eggs every time, we recommend bringing a pan of water to the boil, filled to just cover the eggs, and placing the eggs in the boiling water for one minute’s simmering time. Then take the eggs off the heat and cover in the pan for between six and seven minutes, depending on how runny you like your yolk.

This technique, perfected by Delia Smith, is tried and tested and works a treat.

Hard boiled eggs are more labour intensive than you might think (Credit: Pexels)

4. Hard-Boiled

Making hard-boiled eggs is all about what you do once they’ve come off the heat. After the eggs have been boiling for around six or seven minutes, it is essential to run them directly under a cold tap for a couple of minutes, or even better plunge them into an ice bucket.

This will stop any unwanted dark rings forming between the yolk and the white. Then, roll your eggs on a hard surface so that they crack all over and get peeling!

Poached eggs are a classic indulgent breakfast option (Credit Pexels)

5. Poached

Maybe because it’s the most impressive thing you can cook for breakfast, but poached eggs have a notorious reputation. Get it right and you can claim kudos forever. Get it wrong and you’ve ruined the most important meal of the day.

To impress everyone every time, take a fresh egg and crack it into a small bowl. This will make it easier to slide the egg into the pan.

Next, add a drop of vinegar and bring a pan of unsalted water to the boil. Swirl the gently bubbling water into a whirlpool, before slowly tipping the egg into the centre.

The heat should not be too intense, as big bubbles may break up the white. Cook for three to four minutes, before removing with a slotted spoon to drain. Breakfast is served.

READ MORE: This why you should never drink coffee before breakfast

All eggs are easy to make averagely. But, if you really want your breakfasts to stand out, these tips and tricks are an absolute game-changer. You’ll have guests clamouring to stay the night before you know it.