oeufs cocotte – chic comfort food

Oeufs cocotte, which in English would be baked eggs ……  YUM!   I love this sort of recipe, simple to prepare, delicious to eat and totally versatile.  Prepared in small individual ramekins, this dish is chic enough to serve as a first course for a fancy dinner, or casual enough to cook for lunch with a girlfriend, or for an evening snack in front of a good film with the kids.

So easy to prepare, in fact, that it will take me no time to explain!

To make oeufs cocotte you will need:

6 eggs

a little ham or bacon, cut into small pieces

30cl or 1  1/4 cups of  fresh cream

salt and pepper, a little nutmeg if you wish

(optional: a small handful of vegetables such as asparagus,

red pepper or onion, diced and lightly fried)

also optional: a little grated cheese

6 ramekins and a deep baking dish

First pre-heat the oven to 190°C/375°F.  Pour the cream into a small saucepan and heat until it almost boils.

In a small frying pan , cook the bacon, and if you are using vegetables then fry them and put to one side.

Use a small amount of butter to grease the inside of each ramekin, then spoon the bacon and any vegetables into the base.  If you are using cheese then now is the moment to drop a spoonful in.

Pour the cream into each pot so it is two thirds full, then gently crack an egg and drop into the centre.   I prefer to use a teaspoon and spoon some of the cream over the egg yolk so it doesn’t dry during cooking. Grind a little salt and pepper over the top.

Place the ramekins into your deep baking dish and pour boiling water all around until the water level comes more than half way up the pots.

Place in the oven and bake for 9 minutes.  You want the egg whites cooked and the egg yolk still runny.

If you don’t like the idea of the vegetables in the ramekin with the egg and cream, then you can serve them on the plate beside the pot and let your guests do the mixing to their own taste.   I love to serve these with fingers of baguette bread or toasted farm loaf.

Bon appetit!

all photos thanks to google images