These are the best-ever en cocotte eggs. Just don't over-cook them.
ingredients
—1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped 1 Tbsp butter, plus extra for eggs 1 Tbsp olive oil 120g (4 oz) baby spinach leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper Freshly grated nutmeg 100g (3-4 oz) ham off the bone, chopped ¼ cup cream ½ cup loosely packed basil leaves 4 medium (size 6) free- range eggs 4 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Method
—1 Preheat oven to 180°C (350°C). Put onion in a medium-sized frying
pan (skillet) with butter and olive oil and cook gently for about 10 minutes until tender and lightly golden. Add spinach and cook until it wilts. Season with ÂĽÂ of a teaspoon of salt, black pepper to taste and a good grating of nutmeg. Add chopped ham, cream and basil.
2 Butter 4 ovenproof gratin dishes (or ramekins) and divide spinach and ham mixture among them. Break eggs one at a time into a separate dish and gently transfer into each gratin dish. Grind over a little black pepper and sprinkle with parmesan. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and spoon over top of eggs. Put gratin dishes on a baking sheet to make it easier to move them in and out of the oven.
Cook eggs for about 10 minutes in preheated oven, leaving whites with a little wobble (the eggs will continue to cook as they stand). Let eggs rest for 5 minutes, then serve, or if you like your eggs set, cook them just until they are set in the oven – any more and they will dry out as they stand.
Always start with fresh free-range eggs
Photography Aaron McLean http://www.aaronmclean.com
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