Chef Juliette
Omelette à l’Écossaise
A creamy omelette aux fines herbes closes around smoked-salmon-wrapped herring milts, gently poached in butter. Have the filling ready, then roll the eggs while they still shine.
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Fried Eggs
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 482, Fried Eggs, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Œufs frits reveal what the name promises: eggs immersed in hot oil, folded into crisp golden parcels around soft yolks, then set on toast with fried parsley at the center.
Breakfast & Brunch
French
Weeknight
Quick Meal
Comfort Food
15 min
Active Time
20 min cook•35 min total
Yield4 servings (2 eggs each)
Œufs frits (true fried eggs) teach the difference between a name and a technique. The one true thing to know before you touch the pan is this: the egg is slid into a depth of hot oil, then its white is gathered around the yolk as it fries. A breakfast egg cooked flat in a buttered skillet is œuf à la poêle, a fine thing, but another thing. The word carries the technique.
The classical kitchen assumed a pan of frying oil already held at heat and enough hands to shape and send each egg at once. At home, a narrow heavy saucepan gives safe depth with less oil, and this recipe scales the service to four diners at two eggs each. The always-ready service pan was brigade scaffolding, and the napkin-lined presentation may go because toast was the book's equal option. Immersion in oil, gathering the white around the yolk, and serving immediately must stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.
The prize is a plump, irregular parcel with a crisp golden shell, tender white beneath, and a yolk that runs into the toast when cut. Bring the oil to 355°F (180°C) and let it recover before every egg; that steady heat is the step that decides the dish.
Within the French classical egg repertoire, œufs frits were a distinct deep-fat preparation, arranged on toast or a folded napkin with fried parsley at the center; they belong to the national table rather than one province. In England and America, the name fried egg settled instead on eggs à la poêle, the shallow-pan variety of Eggs on the Dish (No. 395). The name travelled more readily than the method: true œufs frits are immersed and shaped while their yolks remain soft.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
exceedingly fresh large eggs
Quantity
8, chosen to the freshness standard of Eggs on the Dish (No. 395)
neutral high-heat oil, preferably refined sunflower oil
Quantity
4 cups (950 ml / about 870 g)
baguette
Quantity
8 thick slices (about 10 oz / 280 g)
cut on the bias
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
1 small bunch (about 1 cup loosely packed / 25 g)
separated into small sprigs, washed and thoroughly dried
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon (5 ml / 6 g)
divided
finely ground white pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml / 0.6 g)
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| exceedingly fresh large eggs | 8, chosen to the freshness standard of Eggs on the Dish (No. 395) |
| neutral high-heat oil, preferably refined sunflower oil | 4 cups (950 ml / about 870 g) |
| baguettecut on the bias | 8 thick slices (about 10 oz / 280 g) |
| flat-leaf parsleyseparated into small sprigs, washed and thoroughly dried | 1 small bunch (about 1 cup loosely packed / 25 g) |
| fine sea saltdivided | 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 6 g) |
| finely ground white pepper | 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml / 0.6 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •2-quart (2-liter) heavy narrow saucepan with fitted lid
- •Clip-on deep-fry thermometer
- •Two long-handled wooden spoons
- •Wire skimmer or spider
- •Wire rack set over a rimmed tray
- •Small cup or ramekin
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the service
Take the eggs from the cold while the oil heats. Use eggs as fresh as you can find, the same standard required by Eggs on the Dish (No. 395), because a fresh white stays compact enough to fold around its yolk. Toast the baguette slices until their surfaces are crisp but their centers can still catch the yolk, then keep them warm. Spread the parsley on a clean towel and press it completely dry; water and frying oil are dangerous companions.
Set out the warm plates, toast, salt, pepper, egg cup, spoons, skimmer, and rack before frying. Once the first egg enters the oil, the work moves quickly. - 2
Heat the oil steadily
Pour the oil into a completely dry 2-quart (2-liter) narrow saucepan. It should stand about 2 inches (5 cm) deep and fill no more than half the pan. Clip on the thermometer and heat steadily to 355°F (180°C). Keep a fitted lid nearby, never leave the oil unattended, and never introduce water. If the oil begins smoking, turn off the heat and let it cool below frying temperature before continuing.
- 3
Fry the parsley
Lower the perfectly dry parsley into the oil with the skimmer, working in two small batches. Fry for 5 to 8 seconds, just until vivid green and crisp, then lift it onto the rack and season with a pinch of salt. If the oil spits violently, take the pan off the heat without leaning over it and let it settle; moisture remains on the parsley. Dry the remaining sprigs again before reheating the oil.
- 4
Shape each egg
Return the oil to 355°F (180°C). Break one egg into a small cup without piercing the yolk, season it lightly with salt and white pepper, then hold the cup close to the surface and slide the egg gently into the oil away from you. At once, use two wooden spoons to lift the spreading edges of white over the yolk, rolling the egg gently until the white closes into a plump oval. Fry for about 1 minute, until pale golden and crisp outside while the yolk remains soft. If the white runs into lacy threads, gather what you can, lift the egg before its yolk overcooks, and trim the stray wisps after draining. Ça se rattrape: bring the oil fully back to temperature before adding the next egg.
If the egg browns before the white closes, the oil is too hot. Lift out the egg, take the pan off the heat briefly, and return to 355°F (180°C) before continuing. - 5
Drain and serve
Lift each egg with the skimmer and let it drain on the wire rack for 30 seconds. Do not press or blot it, which cracks the shell and breaks the yolk. Set it directly on warm toast and fry the next egg. Serve each diner as soon as their two eggs are ready, with the fried parsley placed between them; œufs frits lose their crispness if held for ceremony. À table!
Chef Tips
- •The thermometer earns its place here. Oil that is too cool soaks the white before it can set; oil that is too hot bronzes the outside while the white nearest the yolk remains raw.
- •Choose the freshest eggs available. A loose white races across the oil before your spoons can gather it, while a fresh white folds neatly into the compact shape this technique requires.
- •Refined sunflower oil has a clean taste and tolerates the required heat. Once completely cool, strain it through a fine sieve and keep it covered in a cool, dark place for one more savory frying.
- •Fry and serve by the portion. Cooking all eight and holding them together gives you a tidy presentation at the cost of crisp whites and flowing yolks, a poor bargain.
Advance Preparation
- •Wash the parsley several hours ahead and leave it spread on a clean towel until no moisture remains. Give it a final careful drying immediately before frying.
- •The bread can be sliced earlier and toasted up to 30 minutes ahead, then rewarmed while the oil heats.
- •The eggs cannot be fried ahead. Prepare the plates and accompaniments first, then fry each two-egg portion and send it directly to the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 180g)
Calories
525 calories
Total Fat
33 g
Saturated Fat
6 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
25 g
Cholesterol
370 mg
Sodium
1150 mg
Total Carbohydrates
42 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
20 g
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