Eggs En Cocotte Recipes

OEUFS COCOTTE (BAKED EGGS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Boil water in a kettle.
• Grease a small lidded casserole dish with olive oil. Distribute diced ham over the bottom and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Gruyere cheese. Pour cream on top and season with a little pepper.
• Crack eggs into the casserole dish one at a time, making sure egg yolks remain intact. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Gruyere cheese and fresh chives. Season with salt and pepper. Cover casserole dish and place into a roasting pan. Pour in enough boiling water so it reaches about halfway up the casserole dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 9 minutes with the lid on. Uncover and continue baking until the egg whites are just set but the yolks are still runny, 3 to 6 additional minutes.

OEUFS EN COCOTTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• Fit a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. Place tomato slices on rack and drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and bake until dry and wrinkled, about 3 hours.
• Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Brush two 6-ounce ovenproof bowls with butter. Place two slices of tomato in the bottom of each bowl, overlapping slightly. Divide cheese evenly between bowls. Crack 2 eggs into each bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Place bowls on a baking sheet and transfer to oven; bake until yolks are almost set but still slightly runny, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and preheat broiler.
• Spoon 2 teaspoons creme fraiche into each bowl and transfer to broiler. Broil until top is brown and bubbly and whites are set, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.

EGGS IN POTS (OEUFS EN COCOTTE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C/Gas 4.
• Season the creme fraiche with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
• Place a heaped tablespoon of creme fraiche in the bottom of a ramekin, followed by a little chopped dill. Crack an egg on top, add a second tablespoon of creme fraiche and sprinkle with a pinch each of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Repeat with 3 more ramekins.
• Place the ramekins in a baking dish and pour enough lukewarm water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the egg yolks are set to your liking.
• If you like, finish each serving with a teaspoon of red lumpfish roe and a sprig or two of dill.

BAKED EGGS EN COCOTTE - ITALIAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler or the oven to 350°F Skin, seed and chop the tomatoes. Place the chopped tomatoes in a bowl with the garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and mix well.
• Place a little of the mixture into the base of 4 ramekins or 'cocottes' and break an egg into each ramekin.
• Scatter each egg with a little more of the tomato mixture, making sure you add the 'juice' as well. Top with breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Place under a hot broiler or in the oven until the eggs are cooked and set to your liking. Serve at once.

TRUFFLED EGGS EN COCOTTE

Steps:

• Put the eggs in an airtight container with the truffles and keep in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours or 48 hours if possible, to allow the aroma of the truffles to permeate the eggs.
• Slice the truffles as thinly as possible (There are actually special tools for this but a vegetable peeler works just fine). Bring the cream just to a boil in a small pan, then immediately remove from heat and drop in the truffles,cover the pan and set aside until cool.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Brush the insides of 2 cocottes or ramekins, about 3 1/4 inches in diameter and 1 1/2 inches deep, with the softened butter and season with salt and pepper.
• Coat the bottom and sides of the ramekins with the grated cheese, tipping any excess out of the ramekins (just as you would flour a buttered cake tin).
• Strain the cooled cream-and-truffle mixture, reserve the truffles, and divide the infused cream between the cocottes.
• Carefully crack the eggs in a bowl and tip it gently into each cocotte so the top of the yolk appears through the cream. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
• Line a shallow roasting pan with waxed paper.
• Put in the cocottes and gently pour boiling water around them until the water comes halfway up the sides.
• Place in the oven and bake, checking after 10 minutes; the cream should be just set but the yolk should still be runny.
• If you prefer your egg a little more cooked, bake for another 2 to 5 minutes.
• Put a cocotte on each plate, garnish with the slices of the reserved truffles and serve.
• Note: You can be generous and eat all the truffle with your breakfast companion, or you can save some and use it to garnish a salad or a dish of pasta--so wonderful!

OEUFS EN COCOTTE FLORENTINE (EGGS IN RAMEKINS WITH SPINACH)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Pick over the spinach and remove all tough stems and blemished leaves. If necessary, rinse the spinach well and drain it. Pat dry. Chop the spinach leaves coarse- fine. There should be about eight cups loosely packed.
• Heat two tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan, and add the shallots and scallions. Cook, stirring, briefly and add the chopped spinach. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is wilted, about two minutes.
• Add the cream and bring to the boil. Cook, stirring, about five minutes. Stir in the cheese and remove the mixture from the heat. There should be about two cups.
• Lightly grease 12 ramekins, about 1 1/2 inches deep and 3 inches in diameter, with the remaining three tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle the bottoms with salt and pepper.
• Spoon an equal portion of the spinach mixture into the bottom of each ramekin, but reserve a small portion to use as garnish. Keep it warm.
• Break one egg into each ramekin and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange the ramekins in a baking dish and pour boiling water around them. This will keep them from baking too rapidly. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. When cooked, the whites should be firm and the yolks liquid or just starting to firm. Do not overcook.
• Spoon a little of the remaining spinach mixture on top of each serving. Serve two to each guest along with French bread or buttered toast. The traditional method of serving dishes in ramekins is to cover a small plate with a napkin, then place the ramekin on the napkin. Provide each guest with a salad fork and a small spoon.