Welcome to Clubhouse Eats, where we celebrate the game’s most delectable food and drink. Hope you brought your appetites.
***
Consider the fried egg.
Not the bad lie in the bunker but the gratifying breakfast staple.
Like a blast from the sand, it isn’t hard to execute, so long as you’ve been given sound instruction.
Mark Curry is executive chef at Nassau Country Club, in Commack, New York. We asked him for a rundown on good technique.
Get Cracking
You can’t make a fried egg without breaking one. You can do this with a few taps on a countertop, the edge of a bowl, or even (this is Curry’s method) against your knuckle. Just take care not to leave any shell fragments in the mix.
The secret to making perfect bacon, according to a golf-club chef
The Proper Pan
On a searing day in the desert, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. In the kitchen, though, Curry recommends a non-stick pan, preferably a small one (his got-to is a 7-inch pan). Unlike a griddle, where an egg will run, this will give your finished product a nice, round shape.
Nothing Better Than Butter
Curry fries his eggs in butter for depth of flavor. Other fats, such as olive oil and canola oil, are also fair game, depending on your palate. Just avoid cooking spray, Curry says, as it leaves an undesirable after taste.
Crisp Execution
A cold egg on a cold pan yields lukewarm results. Let your eggs get to room temperature and get the pan hot before you add them. Once you start cooking, reduce the temperature. You’ll get eggs that are crisp around the edges but not overdone elsewhere.
Timing and Feel
Over-easy? Over-medium? Sunnyside up? Getting your eggs just as you want them is, like golf, partly a feel game. “Over the years, it becomes almost like an internal feeling,” Curry says. “Like comparing a rare steak to a well-done steak.” But as a rule of thumb, he says, if you like your eggs runny, two to three minutes is about right. If you want them firm, simply leave them in the pan until the harden. For over-easy, two-to-three minutes, follow by a quick flip and another thirty seconds, then out of the pan. Season with salt and fresh-ground pepper as you go.
