Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

Maybe you think you’ve had a great fried egg in some breakfast café or in your own kitchen. But I’m willing to bet that my fried egg is better than your fried egg, thanks to “Bon Appetit.”

My son Keith and I both subscribe to the trendy food magazine.  Occasionally, we agree to make the same recipe and compare notes.  I chose the olive-oil fried egg shown on Page 97 of the January issue and went to work.

You might ask, “What’s so challenging about frying an egg? It’s one main ingredient that cooks in some kind of oil and is splashed with salt and pepper to taste.”  Until last night, I would have accepted that my choice for a culinary experience was on the rather wimpy side. No longer!

What was different?  First, the skillet was sizzling hot, much hotter than I usually work with. Next the olive oil was also very hot, so when I added the egg there was this sputtering, splattering sound.  The white of the egg almost danced. The instructions were salt and pepper the egg immediately and then leave it alone until the outer white part became crispy.  I think that’s what contributed to the better taste. The white was crispy on the edges and creamy inside, while the yolk remained runny but not soupy.  (These are all technical chef terms, of course.)

You have to understand that Earl loves eggs, so finding this recipe made both of us happy.  In fact, he managed to eat three fried egg sandwiches to prove my point.