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José Andrés, the best-known Spanish chef working in the United States today, is the new dean of Spanish Studies at the International Culinary Center in Manhattan. On a recent afternoon in the Culinary Center’s kitchen, Mr. Andrés held forth on the essential Spanishness of the fried egg.

“My whole life, I have been trying to cook an egg in the right way,” he said. “It is the humbleness of the dish. Why do you need to do anything more complex?”

To cook an egg, Mr. Andrés uses a method that begins with a sauté pan in which four tablespoons of olive oil had been brought to medium-high heat. He then tips the pan at a steep angle, so that the oil collects in a small bath, and slides the egg into the oil.

Correction, Sept 11, 2012

An earlier version of this photo caption incorrectly stated the amount of olive oil recommended for this recipe. It should be four tablespoons of olive oil, not three.