Oeufs en Cocotte
"Oeufs en Cocotte" is a traditional French dish that means "eggs in casserole." This delightful dish can be made with whatever ingredients you like. It is kid-friendly and sublime. I will share with you a favorite family recipe. Read the notes below for variations. These can be served as a first course or main dish.
- Prep Time: 10-25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
- Total Time: 22-40 minutes
Ingredients
4 eggs
1/2 cup cream
1 1/2 ounces of ham - French ham or prosciutto suggested
1 1/2 ounces Fresh Gruyere cheese, grated
Fresh herbs- such as parsley, chervil, dill, and chives- about a third of a cup
Butter
Four 8-ounce ramekins
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Grease 4 ramekins with butter. Tip- A fast way to butter ramekins is to save the empty wrappers from butter in your refrigerator. Then when you need to butter a dish, place a small amount of butter on the wrapper and rub the wrapper in the ramekins. You can reuse the wrappers many times.
3. Pour half of the cream, 1/4 of a cup, equally into each of the four ramekins.
4. Chop the ham, and divide them equally among the four ramekins. ( or any other ingredients you are using- see notes below.)
5. Add the Gruyere cheese divided equally into each of the ramekins.
6. Crack an egg into each ramekin.
7. Mince the herbs and add to the herbs to the remaining half of the cream, 1/4 cup, and mix with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
8. Pour the herb and cream mixture over the egg, divided equally into each of the ramekins.
9. Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet in an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs. The yolk should not be overcooked to prevent it from being dry. Oeufs en cocotte should be smooth and creamy. When removed from the oven, the eggs will continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with crusty bread for dipping.
Quick dinner preparation Tips-
Prepare your ramekins the night before or in the morning, and store them in the fridge.
Chop ham, mince herbs, and grate cheese the night before or in the morning.
With all this done, it can take under 10 minutes to prepare these for dinner.
Menu idea:
Oeufs en Cocotte with toasted bread
Notes
There are so many versions of this dish— you can eliminate the ham, or use variations of cheese, and herbs to your liking. Don’t worry about the ounces of ham and cheese; it is just a guideline. Add what you like, just not too much of any one ingredient, so the dish is balanced.
Add a sprinkle of Parmesan on top or a drizzle of truffle oil after baking.
Use little bits of leftovers such as broccoli or asparagus, or add sautéed shallots.
If you do not have ramekins, they are worth the small investment. They are very convenient for many recipes for baking and serving, and you can use them as bowls.
Find it online: https://dinnerwithcaterina.com/oeufs-en-cocotte/