Fried Eggs

No matter what the English say, do not fry eggs over high heat until the edges of the whites curl up. Slow cooking is what makes for tender and subtly flavored eggs.

There was an afternoon one day early on at Chez Panisse in Berkeley when I was hosting the famous French chef Denis (later host of the controversial Craig Claiborne $4,000 dinner for two at Chez Denis in Paris). The TV crew coming to photograph him was late, and I was wondering—what do I serve one of the most famous restaurateurs in the world for lunch? “Fried eggs,” he said.