Ribboned eggs

This is my favorite way to make eggs in the morning. It’s a quick recipe that requires only eggs, salt, a bit of oil, and a nonstick pan. Once you learn the technique it’s very easy and only takes a few minutes.

The texture of these eggs is distinctly pasta-like, similar to pappardelle with a rich yolky sauce. The egg whites become soft, flat, wide layers, completely coated in creamy bright orange yolk.

They can be served alone, rolled in a tortilla with hot sauce, layered into a breakfast burrito, and used in many creative ways.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 large pinch kosher salt
  • 1/2 tbsp butter or oil
  • 1 tortilla (optional)
  • Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Directions

The technique is almost the same as making an over-easy egg, except that at the end you split the yolk and allow it to coat the egg whites and cook them very slightly. The recipe starts off slow but the last step is easy to overdo.

  1. Heat a nonstick pan on medium-low heat with butter.
  2. Swirl the melted butter to coat the pan.
  3. Carefully crack eggs into the pan without breaking the yolks.
  4. Move the pan around so that the whites spread out into a thin layer.
  5. Add salt.
  6. Let the eggs cook at medium-low heat until the whites are almost opaque and set, except around the yolks. You can let the whites cook without touching them for a couple of minutes. I’m usually preparing pour-over coffee during this step.
  7. Once the whites are set on the bottom, flip over the eggs using a spatula, and cook the other side briefly until the whites are just barely set.
  8. Turn off the heat.
  9. Split the yolks using the tip of your spatula.
  10. Rotate and flip the eggs allowing the yolk to cover the whites. Some of the yolk should become slightly fudgy, but most of it should still be runny.
  11. Move your eggs to a plate or tortilla while the yolks are still runny, they will continue to cook a bit more on their own.

From here you can add hot sauce or other burrito items.

Tips

The ideal texture of these eggs is like layered sheets of white with yolk sandwiched in between and covering every surface.

  • You can use olive oil or other oil instead of butter
  • The whites should not get any color
  • My favorite hot sauce is Cholula
  • My favorite tortillas are raw tortillas from Tortilla Land, Xulo or other brands