Even though eggs are often used in many recipes, I am only interested in the preparation of whole-egg (rather intact) as a dish. Hence, you may not find frittata or egg Florentine or egg Benedict in the list. Here’s my list.

1. Hard Boiled

   Bring the egg (with shell intact) to boil in hot water for several minutes depending on the size of the egg, usually around 10 to 15 minutes, to get a nice hard boiled egg.

2. Half Boiled and Quarter Boiled

   Put the egg in a bowl and pour boiling water into the bowl until the water cover the eggs. Cover the bowl and leave for 5 to 7 minutes to get a half boiled egg. If you prefer “runny” quarter boiled egg, you should leave the bowl covered for about 3 minutes.

3. Poached

   Break the egg in boiling liquid and simmer it for several minutes until the egg white becomes slightly firm with soft yolk.

4. Fried

   Break the egg and fry it (on both sides) using small amount of cooking oil, animal fat or butter. Try not to break the yolk. There are actually many names given for fried egg, for instance bull’s eye and sunny side up (which refers to uncooked, runny yolk).

5. Deep Fried

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   Similar to poached egg, use generous amount of oil (very unhealthy) instead of simmering water. You can use any type of cooking oil like corn, palm, vegetable or peanut oil.

6. Fondue

   Break an egg onto a ladle and dip it into a pot usually containing hot melted cheese, hot oil, or a hot sauce, for half a minute.

7. Coddled

   This is done using an egg coddler (a small porcelain utensil which looks like small cup). Break the egg into the coddler and secure the lid. Then immerse the coddler into boiling water for several minutes. The slightly cooked egg may be served directly from the egg coddler.

8. Scrambled

   Beat several eggs in a hot pan with small amount of oil. Put some salt and pepper and stir the mixture until cooked.

9. Omelet

   Season several beaten eggs with some salt and pepper. You may include other ingredients like onions, mushrooms, etc. Pour the mixture into hot frying pan with a little amount of oil or fat. Flip the omelet to cook both sides.

10. Baked

    Baked egg is also known as shirred egg. Break the egg onto a greased baking dish. Put about 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk over the eggs. Then, bake the egg in a preheated 325 degrees F. oven until cooked, usually around 10 minutes.

11. Microwaved

    You can poach egg in a microwave. Break the egg in a bowl of water and make sure that you prick the yolk with the tip of a knife. Cover the bowl. Don’t let the water boil or it will explode.

12. Grilled

    Break the egg on a greased flat pan and put them on a hot grill.

13. Steamed

    Place the eggs in a dish. You can add other liquids such as chicken or vegetable broth to this dish. The dish is then placed in a steamer then steamed until cooked.

14. Roasted

    The egg (with shell) is hard boiled then roasted in the oven until the shell turns brown. Roasted egg is actually a significant part of Jewish Passover tradition.

15. Braised

    Break the egg and fry it briefly in hot fat. Add a little liquid (usually broth), and cook it at a low temperature in a covered pot.

16. Dropped

    Drop the egg into the pot containing hot liquids such as broth or soup (as in egg flower soup) and stir the mixture gently and bring it to boil.

17. Buried

    Buried egg is actually one of the methods of making “century egg” or preserved egg, a Chinese delicacy. The egg is buried in mud made of clay and water. The clay hardens around the egg and preserves it for several weeks or months. The yolk of the preserved egg will turn to brown color and the white will turn into brown-greenish jelly-like substance. Usually, it will be hard boiled before it can be consumed.

18. Friction

    I was told that this is a method used by the ancient Egyptian and also desert nomads to cook egg. The egg is cooked using heat from air friction by placing the said egg in a sling-like utensil which is0 turned very rapidly.

19. Raw

    You can also do nothing and eat the eggs raw like some body builders for “natural” protein intake.

20. Salted

    Salted egg is made by preserving and coating it in damp salted charcoal mixture. These preserved eggs are usually boiled or steamed before consumed. Unlike century egg, the yolk of a salted egg is bright orange in color and it tastes rather salty.