Fried Ham and Eggs

A two-minute dish that depends entirely on the pan and the fat. The instruction that matters most is the last one: the eggs are basted, not flipped, and "as soon as the color changes" means the whites have just set.

• SpiderA spider was a cast-iron frying pan, originally with short legs for standing over coals. Any heavy cast-iron or carbon-steel skillet does the same job; the mass is what keeps the fat hot when the cold ham hits it.
• The hamA period "slice of ham" would have been cut off a whole bone-in ham, and was likely a good deal thicker and saltier than a modern deli slice; curing at this date could be dry-salt or brine. Modern deli-thin ham will curl and dry out — ask for a thick center-cut steak, or use a slice of country ham.
• Soak salty hamIf you use a genuine dry-cured country ham, it may need a soak in water or milk before frying. Supermarket wet-cured ham is mild enough to go straight into the pan but often needs a spoonful of butter or oil to start it.
• HeatMedium-high for the ham, then pull the pan down to medium before the eggs go in. Fat hot enough to brown ham in a minute a side will blister and toughen egg white.
• Basting, not turningTilting the pan and spooning hot fat over the tops sets the whites while leaving the yolks liquid — the technique now sold as "basted" or "sunny-side up with a spoon." It takes under two minutes.
• Breaking eggs into a saucerNot fussiness. It lets you catch a bad egg and slide each one in whole, which matters when the fat is shallow and the pan is crowded.
• Runny yolksThe yolks here stay soft. If you are cooking for someone very young, elderly, pregnant or immune-compromised, use pasteurized shell eggs or cook until the yolk is firm.
• YieldThe recipe gives no quantities; figure a slice of ham and one or two eggs per person and scale to the pan.