Add oil or bacon fat to skillet on low to medium heat. Gently break each egg into small bowl. After being sure there are no shell pieces, pour each egg into the skillet being careful not to break the yolk. Repeat until all the eggs are in the skillet. Cook gently with a lid on the skillet until the whites are completely done. Use a spoon or spatula to flip a little hot grease on the top of each egg. Do not turn. The perfect soft fried egg has no crusty part on the white. The white is done but the yellow is runny with a cloudy cooked film over it.
Add oil or bacon fat to skillet. For a crusty egg heat the skillet to very hot. For no crust start with a barely warm skillet. Break eggs one at a time into a small bowl. After being sure there are no shell pieces, pour egg into the skillet. Repeat until up to three eggs are in the skillet. With a fork break the yolk of each egg and stir around a bit without mixing the yolk with the white. When the eggs are cooked on one side, turn, mash down to flatten and cook briefly on the second side. Yellow should just barely be done.
© 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003 Portia Isaacson Bass and Veta Leigh. All rights reserved.