Fried Eggs with Herbs and Black Pepper

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients from the list. You can use eggs of any size, whatever you have on hand and prefer. Some folks like large eggs, but smaller eggs (from younger hens) are often said to have more nutrients. Besides the eggs, you can add some hard cheese to make things even tastier and more fragrant — but that's up to you.

2. Step 2:

   

   It's a good idea to wash the eggs with a little soap before cooking to remove any germs that may be on the shell.

3. Step 3:

   

   Pour vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet and heat it well. Instead of vegetable oil you can use butter or lard for more flavor and richness, though it adds calories — something to keep in mind if you're watching your figure.

4. Step 4:

   

   Crack the eggs into the skillet. Break them carefully so you don't damage the yolks. If you like, use metal or silicone cooking rings to give the eggs a nice round shape — you can even use fun shapes like hearts or stars.

5. Step 5:

   

   Sprinkle a pinch of salt and ground black pepper over the eggs. Fry over medium heat for about 3 minutes. A proper sunny-side-up egg has a runny yolk that spreads when pierced with a fork, and a soft, tender white. That method works best with eggs from backyard hens; store-bought eggs are safest cooked more thoroughly.