Eggs are one of the most versatile cooking ingredients. They are available almost everywhere you travel and are a key ingredient in most national cuisines. No matter how bad a cook you are, you can learn how to cook eggs using some basic methods. Possessing the elemtary skills to make egg recipes like omelettes, boiled eggs and poached eggs will allow you to branch out into hundreds of uncomplicated, speedy healthy dishes.

If you can master the following techniques, you are pretty much there:-

1. How to Boil an Egg
Boiled Eggs are nutritious and can make a quick and uncomplicated meal. For many of us, a boiled egg with toast soldiers is the ultimate comfort food.
To soft boil and egg to dip toast in, first remove your eggs from the fridge and allow them to stand for a while to bring them up to room temperature. Heat some water in a pan and, when it is simmering, drop the eggs into the water carefully. Boil gently for just 60 seconds then remove from the heat, set a lid on the pan and leave for 6-7 minutes. Experiment with the timing, it will depend on how you like your eggs.
For hard boiled eggs, simmer the eggs in the pan, on the heat, for about 7 minutes and then immediately take from the pan and immerse in cold water for a couple of minutes. Some people leave them to cool in a bowl of icy water.
Hard boiled eggs are wonderful for taking on picnics or for mashing with mayonnaise to make egg sandwiches.

2. Cooking an Omelette
An omelette is very easy to make and is great served with a salad or fries.
In a bowl, beat two eggs together and season with . Add a teaspoon of milk or water. In an omelette pan (small frying pan), melt a knob of butter or margarine and coat the pan. Pour the eggs into the pan and move them around so that they cover the the pan evenly. Use a spatula to keep bringing in cooked bits from the side to let less cooked eggs run into gaps and cook evenly. As soon as you have a soft but firm evenly cooked omelette you might also add grated cheese or chopped and cooked mushrooms to the center and fold the omelette over the filling to make a crescent shape.

3. Cooking Scrambled Eggs
Scrambled eggs on toast is delicious and is a good standby when you're in a rush or are too tired to cook much. If you have got a microwave, then these are really easy – simply beat 2-3 eggs together, season, add a tiny dash of milk and cook on high. Stir with a fork every ten seconds and stop cooking when they are at the perfect consistency for you.
You can also scrambled eggs in a pan – Heat a knob of butter in a frying pan, beat the eggs in a bowl or jug, season and add a dash of milk. Once the butter is melted, pour the eggs into the pan and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook until the egg mixture only has a bit of liquid left. Stir in a little butter and add cream if you want – delicious.
For a special breakfast, chop up smoked salmon and mix into the scrambled egg.

4. Poached Eggs
To poach eggs the simple way, you can purchase a specific poaching pan which has round compartments into which you crack your eggs and then they cook over the pan which is filled with boiling water.
To poach eggs without a poacher, pour boiling water into a frying pan until it is about 2 ½ cm deep, put the pan on the cooker and, when the water is bubbling lightly (little bubbles under the surface), break an egg into the water. Simmer for 1 minute and then remove from the heat. Leave for 10 minutes and then remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Serve on toast or with bacon, sausage and baked beans.

These are the four classic, fastest and most nourishing ways to cook eggs but you can also fry an egg in oil. Simply heat oil in a frying pan, crack an egg lightly into the pan (gently, so you don't break the yolk) and fry until cooked. Even though you may favour frying eggs, don't forget that poaching is much healthier than frying because it uses water instead of oil.

Mr Wakefield is an ethusiastic amateur cook who works for 'The Recipe Collection' internet site. If you want to impress your friends with your culinary skills, and wish to prepare and satisfying egg recipes, then you will find a tremendous selection at 'The Recipe Collection', a recipe cookbook which includes egg and frittata recipes, (amongst many others). There is an egg recipe there to delight the whole family.