Baked Eggs en Cocotte with Basil

By lorik

Ingredients

• 8 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• Buttered toasted whole wheat or white bread
• Variation from Food 52 (Serves 2)
• 3/4 cup cream (200 ml)
• 4 eggs
• A sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• Coarse salt and black pepper
• A few slices of toasted baguette bread (or any bread you like)

Details

Servings 8
Cooking time 25mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat the bottoms and sides of eight 4-ounce ramekins with 1 teaspoon of olive oil each. Arrange the ramekins around the sides of a roasting pan and crack 1 egg into each one. Top each egg with 1/2 tablespoon of butter and season with salt and pepper. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake the eggs in the oven for about 15 minutes, turning the pan halfway through cooking, until the yolks are runny and the whites are just firm. Garnish the eggs with the chopped basil and serve right away with buttered toast.

Variation:
Preheat oven to 180°C/ 350°F.

In a saucepan, bring the cream to a soft boil, simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and mix well. Set aside.

Rub garlic in the base of the cocotte (keep remaining garlic for the bread). Pour the hot cream in the cocotte, and break the eggs one by one into the cream. Place a sprig of thyme, add black pepper and cook uncovered in a preheated oven for approximately 8 minutes. The eggs should not be overcooked and slightly runny.

Rub toasted baguette bread with the remaining garlic clove. Serve with eggs immediately.