For the Best-Tasting Fried Egg, I Never Use Butter or Olive Oil — This Is So Much More Delicious

I like an over-easy egg with some buttered toast for breakfast as much as the next person. But a fried egg sitting on top of warmed-up leftover white rice or fried rice? That’s my preferred breakfast any day of the week. I grew up in a Filipino household, and fried eggs alongside rice was a breakfast staple for us. My mom always opted for frying eggs in olive oil, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve discovered that I like to fry my eggs in something more flavorful: sesame oil. 

I store my bottle of sesame oil in a cool, dark place that’s within reach of my stovetop. (I typically use up a bottle within a couple of months so there’s no concern about it going rancid.) When it’s time to fry, I just pour a tiny glug of sesame oil straight into my nonstick skillet. The sesame oil adds an immediate boost of flavor to the fried egg, giving it a nutty taste that complements my bowl of rice so well. 

1. Heat sesame oil. Heat 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil in a small nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat until shimmering.
2. Fry egg. Gently crack 1 large egg into the pan and season with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook to your desired doneness. Slide egg onto a plate, toast, or a warm bowl of rice.

• Swirl in other oils. If you want to test the flavor first, cut the sesame oil with a neutral-flavored oil or olive oil. On the other hand, if you want to amp up the flavor, I like to add a dab of chili crisp (a spicy, oil-based condiment) to the pan with the sesame oil to make chili crisp fried eggs. 
• Double down on the sesame. Now if you really want to lean into the sesame, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds into the pan once the oil is hot before adding your egg, and then sprinkle even more seeds on top for a sesame fried egg. 

This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: For the Best-Tasting Fried Egg, I Never Use Butter or Olive Oil — This Is So Much More Delicious