Chef Forum banner

Frying Multiple Eggs

7K views 42 replies 16 participants last post by  jimyra 
#1 ·
Does anyone have a hack for frying multiple eggs? I have a dinner for 60 coming up and one if the dishes is topped with a fried egg. I know I could just put all the pans on the stove and fry in batches but just checking if there's a hack out there? I don't have a flat top.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I suppose you may be able to use the same technique for fried eggs? Par-fry them in advance, and flash-fry them before service? Kinda like what restaurants do with french fries.

Disclaimer: I've never fried an egg. It does sound good though.
Wait. Hold the presses. You've never fried an egg?

Impossible. I don't believe you. Well, maybe I can. My partner hates eggs.

So I never have eggs without having to make them myself.

@kalofagas - The only thing I can think of are ring molds. Do six at a time (X 10) in a large fry pan(s). Could get messy though. Or muffin tins, but then they'd be baked.
 
#7 ·
I love eggs though! Just... no, never done it. And come to think of it I've never even had a fried egg! Something else to give a try, soon! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif
I don't even know how to respond to this. Fried eggs are glorious. But I believe you've never had a fried egg because if you did you'd know that you can't reheat a fried egg. The white gets leathery.

Please please please fry an egg. Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan along with a clove of garlic and even a sprig of herb like rosemary or thyme. Let it get very hot then drop the egg in and baste until desired doneness. If the oil is hot enough the edges will get really crispy. You can blot it on a paper towel but personally I love serving it with the olive oil and dipping my bread in it. Salt and pepper of course.
 
#8 ·
Yep, that's me Koukouvagia. I need fried eggs specifically.
Are quail eggs an option? You can fit a lot in one pan. Break them all into a bowl and then dump the whole lot into the frying pan. It will be a bit tricky to remove them all but you can use a cookie cutter to get them uniformly shaped and a mini spatula to pick them up. I'm afraid fried eggs can't be done ahead of time.

Alternatively you can get several muffin pans and pour a little oil in each cup. Heat until very hot in the oven and then place an egg in each cup, the way you would do with a yorkshire pudding popover. The oil will be hot and heat the egg immediately, finish in the oven.
 
#14 ·
You guys are having the same reaction as BoarDeLaze when I told him that I had never had a chicken pot pie. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif

I'm going to have to try then!
I never cooked or even ate a chicken pot pie until 5-6yrs ago. It's not my favorite food by far but it is a nice satisfying meal. I didn't grow up eating it so it's not one of my comfort foods but I can imagine that if someone grew up on these it would be a very special food.

You have eaten a pot pie by now right?
 
#15 ·
I never cooked or even ate a chicken pot pie until 5-6yrs ago. It's not my favorite food by far but it is a nice satisfying meal. I didn't grow up eating it so it's not one of my comfort foods but I can imagine that if someone grew up on these it would be a very special food.
Yes, I've had chicken pot pie (that I made myself)... once. What you describe are my feelings exactly. It's impressive how much childhood memories affect your food tastes.

@BrianShaw really? No duck fat? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif
 
#16 ·
For an egg hack, there are flat top grills you can buy that rest on the burners on a stove. Cast iron or aluminum. I had quite a  large one I gave to a restaurant friend. Anyway, you can have two and when the time comes, they heat pretty quickly. When you're done with the eggs. take them off and put in storage. You should probably pre season them before you need them. A camping or restaurant supply should have them.

     As for the chicken pot pie, I'll throw in a dissenting opinion. A well made pot pie is a delight. No, I did not grow up on them. But when I was a poor student in Seattle there was a local pub nearby that offered fresh pot pies every Tuesday or Wednesday. The owner put his heart and soul into those pies. Beautiful, flaky crust and a rich creamy filling with lots of chunky vegetables and fresh chicken. I'd have one with a Guinness every week while studying my Spanish.  I attribute my 4.0 in the class to all those pot pies and many pints of Guinness.  
 
#18 ·
I take it you don't have a flat top.

This is how we do it for mass benedicts.  Poach, chill in ice water, put it together with the muffin and ham and rewarm in the oven.

You might be able to ice water chill and rewarm the same way, though I've never tried it. It might take a more browning on the bottom though for it to stay together.
 
#19 ·
But when I was a poor student in Seattle...
Nobody said pot pies weren't good. I love them. But see you are waxing poetic about a comfort food from your youth. Part of the reason you love this food has a lot to do with the memory you've associated with this food, you e described the experience so warmly that I just know it's not just about the pot pie itself. Sorry to hijack the egg thread but it's a fascinating topic to me, how linked food and memories are. I have no such association with pot pie. I never ate it growing up, I never ordered it at a restaurant, nobody ever cooked one for me, and I never ate one until I made it myself. I fact the only pot pies I've ever had are the ones I've made. I can fully understand with my logical mind that this is a truly delicious food and when I eat it I really enjoy it. But it hasn't penetrated my psyche. I don't have a unique experience with it like the one you e described. It's fascinating no? Ok I'll stop now.
 
#23 · (Edited)
If your having a dinner for 60 people and the dish requires a fried egg then the egg is an important part of the dish. Therefore it's important the egg comes off the grill or out of the pan with a nice crusty white and creamy yoke. I would start the first batch of eggs about 5 minutes before the serving starts. Then the person who is doing the eggs could keep up with the other people who are serving up the dinner. If it was any other style egg such as scrambled or poached it would be a different story. I would also talk with the organizer of the party and explain to them that the service may be a bit slower to insure quality. When I have a problem in any area of catering a function I always make the client aware. People want the best possible outcome for their function. If they know and understand the logistics of preparing the dish, they will also understand why it is served a bit slower. As a Chef I also understand in advance the logistics of serving a meal. If I bring up my concerns at the time of booking the party I could relay my concerns to the client. Good luck with your dinner, let us know how everything goes.........ChefBillyB
 
#24 ·
I really want to know how this turns out! Good luck with your catering!

At a place I worked the owner was infatuated with having Croque Monsieur on the bar menu. On a busy night I would be slamming out food for the main dining room and then get a bar order for a Croque...And I had to clear my station to do a grilled cheese sammich with  an over-easy... it sounds so easy... I mean its only 1 silly sammich, 1 measley lil egg.....right? No, its more like stopping a freight train to let some ducklings cross. I'd get several and have my line filled up with egg pans. Fine dining and breakfast all day... oh, and I was also poaching quail eggs for the same menu, but thats another story.
 
#26 ·
Thank you. I'll take credit for that!! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif
I remember at my first restaurant job in 1974, the banquet chef used muffin tins to produce mass quantities of fried eggs and he took credit for the idea. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/chef.gif/img/vbsmilies/smilies/bounce.gif/img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top