Often, the benefits you hear about omelettes are based on the preference of the omelette cook or omelette eater. You wouldn't expect egg yolk lovers to be obsessed with some tough whites and yolks. But in fact, the perfect omelette has more to do with the occasion and the food pairing than the person who eats it: even those who like runny yolks have to admit that a slightly firmer yellow is better in an egg sandwich. Here's how to fry a good egg, and exactly why you should choose one method over another.

1. Fried eggs with plenty of olive oil When you pour enough olive oil into the pan to surround and even partially submerge the eggs, you can enjoy crispy-edged, velvety Whites and oozing yolks

To make an olive oil egg: Place a small saucepan over high heat for a few minutes. Add enough olive oil to coat the pan. After a while, the oil will be hot enough that splashes of water will bubble immediately in the pan. (Watch out!) This is when you’re ready to cook. Beat an egg in the prep bowl and gently pour it into the pan. Season with salt and pepper. To make sure all the egg whites are cooked, once the egg whites start to set, carefully tilt the pan, spoon some olive oil in a spoon, and pour it back on top of the eggs. Here's a video of restaurateur Frank Prosimian demonstrating the quantity and calories of olive oil.

Place your indulgent crispy eggs in a bowl, over pasta, or over a plate of homemade sweet potato mashed potatoes. The crispy texture contrasts perfectly with the soft texture underneath, and the yolk will also dot the rest of your plate.

2. Omelette with brown butter When you use a generous amount of butter instead of olive oil, you get eggs that are sure to be crispy but also very rich, perfect for breakfast.

To make a buttered omelette: Follow the instructions above for olive oil eggs, but limit the fat and calories. When the butter starts to bubble but hasn't browned yet, pour in the eggs. Season with salt and pepper and cook until bubbly around the edges. Because there isn't enough butter, when the eggs fall away from the surface of the pan, flip it over and allow the egg whites to finish cooking. After 10 seconds, your eggs are done and your butter is brown, nutty, and caramel--pour the excess butter back over the eggs.

Eat your brown butter eggs with French salad just like French fries and lard. Since nut butter has so much flavor, it's a wonderful treat without anything but toast.

3. Easy Eggs Fryed in Butter This is probably how your grandma fried eggs, and fast-food chefs still do it today. The egg whites are not too crispy and not too soft, and the yolks are not too runny and not too hard, which is standard procedure for a plain old omelette. Go straight from the middle. All it requires is your attention span a little longer than the two methods above.

Make a simple egg: Heat a skillet over medium heat and when hot, add a little butter. Cook the eggs until the whites are set and you can lift it easily with a spatula. Flip and cook the other side for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The more eggs you fry this way, the better instincts you'll have for knowing when to flip them over and when to remove them from the pan.

Eat simple over easy eggs as a sandwich—especially if you cook the yolk slightly so it doesn't ooze all over your hands.

4. The perfect steamed egg omelette is a little crazy, no two results are exactly the same. If this impatience is at odds with your nature, you'll love steam frying, which gives you the ultimate in control. You'll end up with egg whites that are soft but not rubbery and yolks that are thick but don't ooze everywhere. How did this happen? A little steam.

To make a steam omelette: Heat a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Add some butter or oil and beat an egg in your prep bowl. Pour the eggs into the pan and season; then, after it has set, add a teaspoon of water and cover the pan for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The lid will create steam in the pot, which will cook the tops of the egg whites and yolks and set them like velvet on the bottom, so you don't need to flip the eggs at all. Steamed eggs are perfect for almost any occasion, especially as a simple breakfast with bread and butter.