I definitely feel like the latecomer to the party. Evidently, Julia Turshen’s “Olive Oil-Fried Eggs with Yogurt+Lemon” has been the rage of food blogs since her cookbook, Small Victories, was published last year.

I own (and love) the book, and have picked up a number of tips without actually following a recipe. That changed this morning when I made her fried eggs. The success of this recipe has also rekindled my interest in trying other recipes from the book.

Frying an egg in olive oil, adding a tiny amount of water and covering the pan to cook the white and leave the yolk runny is one of those life changing techniques. The egg is perfectly cooked without resorting to flipping it over. And resting it on a bed of lemony yogurt and adding a sprinkle of fresh basil creates sheer perfection.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used Siggi’s)
1/2 lemon
*2 TBS olive oil
*2 eggs
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
sprinkle of fresh basil (or another leafy green herb)
* I only cooked one egg, so I also used a little less oil

Method: (Slightly adapted)

1. Whisk the yogurt and a good squeeze of lemon juice together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture on a warmed plate.

2. Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the egg (or eggs) to the pan. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Add a bit of water (scant half teaspoon) to the side of the pan away from the egg. Cover the skillet. Cook until the white is firm, and the yolk remains runny.

3. Top the yogurt with the egg. Squeeze the remaining juice from the half lemon over the egg. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh basil.

I really can’t do justice to explaining how good this is. To be fair, the Big Guy just rolled his eyes at the thought of it, so it might not be for the breakfast purist. All I can say, is try it! Better yet, buy the cookbook.