For such an elegant little dish, eggs en cocotte are remarkably simple to make. We can even do it half-awake on a Saturday morning while we're waiting for the coffee to brew. Oh, and then the absolute luxury of dipping that first piece of buttered toast into the warm yolk. Yes, we'll be making these eggs this weekend. What about you?
This dish is sometimes called baked eggs or shirred eggs, but all the recipes are generally the same. You butter a few small ramekins and sprinkle the bottom with a little cheese. Then break one or two eggs (how ever many fit) into each ramekin without breaking the yolk. Top the eggs with a spoonful of cream, some salt and pepper, and another sprinkling of cheese. Set the egg-filled ramekins in a bain marie and bake in a 350° oven until the whites are set but the yolks are still loose.
We like to eat our eggs en cocotte with plenty of buttered toast that's been cut into strips. These are perfect for dipping into the yolk and scooping up the egg whites. If we're serving these at a brunch, we make a big plate of toast to pass around!
Now and again, we like to mix things up a bit and add a few more ingredients to the eggs. A bit of crumbled bacon on the bottom completes the breakfast trifecta. We also like chopped tomatoes, caramelized onions, cooked mushrooms, or any other favorite vegetable. For the cheese, gruyere is traditional, but don't let that stop you! It's very very hard to go wrong when it comes to baked eggs!
Here's a basic recipe if you'd like one to follow:
• Eggs en Cocotte from Cooking Light
How do you like your eggs en cocotte?
Related: What's the Difference? Eggs Over Easy or Sunny Side Up
(Image: My Recipes/Cooking Light)
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I've been wanting to make these for a while. I should have fresh mushrooms from a local farm on Saturday, so Sunday morning it is! (very excited)
They are so delicious and creamy and feel so indulgent. I like chopped chives on top.
Y.U.M. - I smell Sunday morning breakfast right here!
Can I use olive oil instead of butter?
I LOVE these with wild mushrooms sauteed with thyme in the bottom.
To be noted: DO NOT substitute the cream for milk. Does not have the same effect. This may be obvious to many of you, but it wasn't to me ... learned the hard way!
I often make these for dinner with a side of roasted potatoes. I fill a large-ish ramekin with grated, sauteed zucchini, make an egg-sized indentation and bake just as described above. For a dinner party I'll make some hollandaise to go on top. So good.
I like these with quartered cherry tomatoes. If you're feeling fancy, you can make a ring around the outside with the cherry tomato pieces, put them in the oven for 5-10 minutes to soften, and then cook the egg in the center. It looks very pretty.
I have these nearly every working day. I love them with a knob of butter and some grated parmesan on top, with white bread (toasted) on the side. Yoghurt/creme fraiche also works as a topping.
It's true, you can roll out of bed and have these ready in no time.
Been making these for ages but am really over the moon for Ina Garten's version with fresh goat cheese, garlic, & fresh herbs on top of the eggs, a spoonful of cream and a smidge of butter on the bottom. Heaven.
Her recipe even does away with the bain marie. You just preheat the ramekins (3 min) and then broil (6 min). Add in prep time and it's still breakfast under 15 minutes. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/herbed-baked-eggs-recipe2/index.html
I make these all the time. I put a spoonful of tomato sauce in the bottom of the ramekin and top it with sharp cheddar. So, so good!
I learned about shirred eggs from an issue of Sunset a while back. I particularly like to add a shredded basil on top, but I hadn't tried experimenting with tomato or mushrooms.
I've also made these with thinly sliced mushrooms and/or onions and fresh herbs. It's a good amount of food for me, though my husband prefers a much larger breakfast in the weekends.
Do you think you can make enough for the week, freeze them and zap one in the microwave every morning? SO GOOD!