Actually, ‘oeufs en cocottes’ isn’t that pretentious. It means ‘egg casserole’ (at least per Google translate) but most translate it as ‘eggs in pots.’ Saying the French name just makes me feel like an ass. Perhaps it is my horrid pronunciation (likely) or my habit of sticking my nose in the air when attempting–and failing–to speak French. Don’t ask why, I haven’t a clue. It just happens. Like Miley Cyrus and twerking, except I keep my damn tongue in my mouth.
Guess I’m not visiting France anytime soon.
Putting that craziness aside, I still can’t believe I make and eat this on a mildly regular basis since I’m a person who never ate a runny egg yolk until she was 22.
Soft baked eggs, makes 2 eggs
Ingredients
2 large eggs
2 Tbs. Half & Half or heavy cream, divided
butter, for greasing ramekins
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper, divided (A coarser grind is best.)
a few springs of fresh herbs, like dill or parsley (Or sub in a sprinkling of dried herbs/spices of your liking.)
toasted bread, for serving
Special Equipment
2 ramekins or small bowls
pan large enough to fit the ramekins, like a loaf pan
Method
1. Heat oven to 400*F. Grease the ramekins or small bowls with butter. Crack an egg in each ramekin. Add 1 Tbs. of Half & Half or cream to each ramekin, followed by 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper in each little pot. Add herbs/spices if desired.
2. Put the ramekins into the loaf pan and carefully add water to the loaf pan until it reaches about 1/2 way up the ramekins. Be careful not to get water in either little pot. Bake until the tops are just set, 8-10 minutes depending on how many times you open the door to look at them.
3. Serve with toasted bread of your choice. I like to be fairly traditional and opt for crunchy slices of sourdough that have been cut into little breadsticks–great for dunking into the yolk. If you’re using dill (More dill!!!), a nice piece of toasted rye bread with caraway seeds would be really tasty.
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