Fried egg

A fried egg is an egg cooked in a hot pan, usually with oil or butter, until its white sets while its yolk remains whole.

Egg protein denaturation: The unfolding and aggregation of egg proteins under heat, changing them from liquid to solid. Heat sets the white by unfolding and coagulating its proteins.
Egg white: The mostly water-and-protein clear portion of an egg surrounding the yolk. Its proteins coagulate into the opaque white that signals a fried egg is cooked.
Over-medium egg: A fried egg flipped and cooked until its white is set and its yolk is partly thickened. It offers a firmer yolk than an over-easy egg without cooking it fully hard.
Scrambled eggs: Eggs beaten and stirred during cooking, producing soft curds rather than an intact yolk and white. Scrambling breaks the egg’s structure instead of cooking it whole in the pan.
Maillard reaction: A set of reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars that produces browning and complex aromas. High heat can brown the egg’s edges through reactions between proteins and sugars.
Egg yolk: The nutrient-rich yellow portion of an egg, containing fats, proteins, and emulsifiers. Its fat-rich contents thicken more slowly than the white sets.
Over-hard egg: A fried egg flipped and cooked until both white and yolk are firm. This style extends frying until the yolk is fully set.
Poached egg: An egg cooked without its shell in gently simmering water, usually without added fat. Poaching sets the egg in water rather than frying it in a pan.
Smoke point: The temperature at which a cooking fat begins producing visible smoke and volatile breakdown products. Choosing fat with a suitable smoke point helps prevent scorching during frying.
Ovalbumin: The most abundant protein in egg white, denaturing and coagulating when heated. Its heat-driven coagulation contributes to the white’s solid structure.

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