Baked Eggs
Y’all know how I feel about eggs. For this thrifty girl, they’re my protein of choice not only because of their price tag, but because they tap into my idea of a cool girl French girl, coming home for an omelet and a glass of wine at lunch or eating a fried egg at the top of the stairs. I block out the lives of diner eggs, served with scrapple and fat links of sausage. I think of their chicer incarnations, atop a croque madame or sitting tall in a pretty little egg cup.
Poaching has long been my cooking method of choice. But one day, in an effort to cross off an item on my fall fun list, I cracked our dinner eggs into white ridged ramekins and baked them in the oven. Just ten minutes later, something perfectly portioned and runny popped out. “They’re just like McDonald’s eggs, but with a runny yoke,” my husband said, which is high praise from him.
The bare bones version of this quick and cheap protein is egg-in-ramekin-alone. But there is a whole world of leeks, spinach, and chunky tomato sauce to layer underneath, and this would be a grand way to make eggs for a crowd at brunch. Like figuring out a new way to wear your great aunt’s scarf instead of buying new fall accessories at the mall, an old favorite feels new again.
Baked Egg
Serves 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a small ramekin with cooking spray or lightly brush with melted butter or olive oil. Crack an egg into ramekin, slide into oven and bake until whites are set but yolk is still runny, about 10 minutes.
Julia: I like it! I have been looking for years for a way to recreate a McDonald’s breakfast at home. Don’t laugh, I have my reasons
1 year ago
No reasons necessary.
1 year ago
domestikate: Oh I love eggs, I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner!1 year ago
Ruth: I love eggs! For all the things I have in my kitchen, I don’t own ramekins. I’ll have to remedy that.1 year ago
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday: Does this taste much different than a fried egg? It seems to take a lot longer to bake. Just wondering if it’s worth the extra effort?1 year ago
Brie Barton: i love love love baked eggs – great inspiration for tonight’s dinner!
particularly good with a small dollop of cream in the bottom of the ramekin.
@Samantha – oh so much better than a fried egg – creamier somehow.1 year ago
Samantha, Brie beat me to it! Definitely creamier—the texture is just entirely different because the whites don’t spread out thinly, they stay sort of fluffy when contained by the ramekins edges…if that makes sense.1 year ago
Gretchen: Bet you’ll love this episode of Lessons with Master Chefs: Julia Childs on cooking eggs: http://video.pbs.org/video/1167165458/program/10735575811 year ago
Free Recipes Online: wow I’ve never thought to bake an egg before. This sound great and I’m going to try it out some time soon. Thanks for sharing this with us.1 year ago
J:
I LOVE making this! I call it “oeuf en cocotte” because I first made it from a French recipe (and I’m pretty sure food tastes better when it has a French name).
My partner calls them “surprise eggs” because I never tell him what’s hiding underneath the egg (a piece of smoked salmon, herbs de provence, jamon serrano, leftover shredded chicken, cheese, cherry tomatoes…and then I finish them off with a little dollop of creme fraiche on top).1 year ago