Few ingredients are as versatile as eggs when it comes to home cooking, which is why they are often the main component in breakfast and brunch dishes. Fried eggs in particular are delicious on top of toast, with a full English, atop pancakes, or stuffed into a sandwich, and they are best cooked simply. Whether that means lashings of butter or glugs of oil, most people agree that this is the best way to cook a perfect fried egg.
They prevent sticking, enhance flavour, and create different textures. However, Henry O’Connor, the creator of Better Eggs, employs a cooking method that transforms eggs with the addition of one unexpected ingredient. “Instead of using oil or butter, add a spoonful of double cream to a hot pan,” he revealed.
Henry said, “Let it bubble for a few seconds, then crack in your eggs and cook until the whites are just set. The result? Crisp, golden edges, velvety whites and rich, buttery yolks that rival any breakfast spot.”
The recipe is less unconventional for scrambled eggs, but the egg expert insists it is best for the fried kind.
Since butter is derived from cream, frying an egg in cream is essentially the same as frying it in butter. But it has unparalleled benefits when it comes to flavour.
As you simmer cream, water evaporates and turns into steam, but fat and milk solids cannot evaporate, so they stay in the pan and become increasingly concentrated.
“Cooking your eggs in cream is pure indulgence,” says Henry.
He added: “As the cream heats, it caramelises on the bottom of the pan, adding a depth of flavour you can’t enjoy with butter or oil, while keeping the whites light and the yolks beautifully runny. It’s a small change that makes a big difference.
“It’s a method few people know about – but once you’ve tried it, you’ll never go back”.
Many recipes suggest using heavy cream, but using double the amount is best.
The primary difference is the fat content, with double cream containing significantly more milk fat (around 48%) than heavy cream (at least 36%).
So, whether you’re cooking up a cosy brunch for two or simply want to elevate your weekday breakfast, this simple yet effective cooking hack might just be the secret to your best-ever eggs.
