There’s a little French bistro at Pike Place Market in Seattle called Café Campagne, which has been around for almost as long as I can remember. As a kid, I used to go with my family for brunch, and my grandmother often ordered baked eggs (or Oefus en Cocotte), which are a delightfully rich and satisfying egg baked with cream. As easy and quick as this is to throw together, it wows as a brunch dish and feels elegant and refined.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
- 4 large eggs
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped chives
- 2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
Place an oven rack near the top of your oven (about 5-7 inches away from the broiler). Preheat broiler for a few minutes while you prep ingredients (3-10 minutes is a good estimate, but it all depends on your oven—you want it hot).
On a rimmed sheet pan, place two baking ramekins (such as two crème brulee dishes)—you want these to be shallow and wide. Place 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon rosemary in each dish or ramekin. Place sheet in preheated broiler for 2-4 minutes, or until hot and bubbly (again, this depends on your broiler).
Meanwhile, crack 2 eggs into a small prep bowl, ensuring the yolks don’t break (while it dirties dishes, it’s easier to crack into a small bowl and then slide into the ramekins without breaking). Repeat with a second prep bowl and remaining two eggs.
Next, pull out the sheetpan from the broiler, and gently slide two eggs from a prep bowl into each ramekin. Sprinkle generously with salt, less generously with pepper. Place back under broiler and cook 5-7 minutes. You may need to rotate the pan, depending on the evenness and how brown certain spots get. You want the egg whites to be mostly set, but with a soft yolk (you can test by removing and jiggling one—if it’s really liquid, it needs more time). As a good rule of thumb, if there are some golden brown (and even dark brown) edges and bits, they’re done. I like the little bubbles of cream that pop and brown deeply.
Once done broiling, remove each ramekin and place on a plate. Sprinkle each with half the parsley and chives, and a generous dusting of parm (I prefer a ton, but use less if that’s not your thing). Serve with lightly toasted bread and extra crispy bacon.
Notes:
- This recipe is easily scalable, just double for 4 servings, halve for one, etc.
- While this simple but classic version with herbs is my personal favorite, go crazy with flavor combos. Add spices, harissa, chili paste…. The world is your oyster when it comes to this dish because it’s forgiving and very versatile.
