Eggs en Cocotte

Do you like breakfast? I love breakfast. I love breakfast like I love my dogs (they live in Phoenix with my parents)…I experience pure bliss when I’m with them, but miss them ’cause I don’t get to see them often. And so goes the same with breakfast…I don’t see breakfast much at all. Early rising, busy mornings…not a great recipe for a proper, scrumptious breakfast.

But eggs en cocotte have changed that. I’d seen a few recipes for eggs en cocotte (or just, baked eggs if it’s too early for a faux French accent), one at The Kitchn and another at Pete Bakes!, and thought, “Hmm…this looks interesting!”

Oh. Interesting does not describe this dish well at all. It’s buttery, creamy, delicate and luscious. In my best hypnotist voice: you WANT to make these EGGS!!

And they’re EASY. I made this luscious little breakfast in the time it took to make my coffee! Here’s the basic recipe and then we’ll start getting fancy:

Basic Eggs en Cocotte

From Cooking Light

• 1  tablespoon  butter
• 6  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 2  tablespoons  whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat each of 6 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Break 1 egg into each prepared ramekin. Sprinkle eggs evenly with pepper and salt; spoon 1 teaspoon cream over each egg. Place ramekins in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 1/4 inches. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until eggs are set.

Okay now let’s make luscious even better…if it’s even possible.

Pete Bakes! added some herbs and cheese and bacon:

1/4 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/4 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan
1 Tbsp crumbled cooked bacon
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tbp butter
salt and pepper to taste

1. preheat the broiler while you prepare the ramekins.

2. combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parmesan and bread crumbs. add 1/4 Tbsp butter and 1/2 Tbsp heavy cream in each ramekin. put the ramekins on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until melted and bubbly.

3. remove the ramekins from the oven and very carefully crack 1 egg into each. quickly sprinkle with the crumb/herb topping and place back in the broiler for anther 2-3 minutes. the eggs will continue to cook after you remove them from the oven. let cool for 1-2 minutes before serving warm.

Finally, here’s some herb/cheese/meat combos I suggest so you can make these eggs every day of the week and get some variety!

• Consider using panko crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs…they’re flakier and thinner and just NOMier than regular bread crumbs.
• How about using gruyere cheese, thyme, fresh cracked pepper, and a tiny pinch of fleur del sal?
• Spice it up with cumin, chili flakes or cayenne pepper and paprika.
• Aged white cheddar, rosemary, garlic, finely chopped onion.
• Goat cheese. Enough said.
• Finally, meats!! Consider bacon, prosciutto, serrano ham, pancetta…anything that comes thinly sliced, is cured and comes from your local deli. Chop it up and put some on the bottom of your ramekin and sprinkle some on the top after the egg has gone in.