Oeufs cocotte are French baked eggs cooked in cream with ham and cheese. You can make them in individual ramekins or a casserole dish, then bake in a water bath in the oven. Simply delicious served hot with toast or strips of bread to dip in the runny egg yolks.
Prep Time::10 mins
Cook Time::15 mins
Total Time::25 mins
Servings::2
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil, or to taste
½ cup finely chopped ham
2 tablespoons grated Gruyère cheese
½ cup heavy whipping cream
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 large eggs
¼ teaspoon chopped fresh chives
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a small, lidded casserole dish with olive oil. Boil water in a kettle and set aside.
Arrange ham in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Gruyère cheese. Pour in cream and season with black pepper. Crack eggs on top, one at a time, making sure yolks remain intact. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Gruyère cheese and chives. Season with salt and black pepper.
Cover the casserole dish and place it into a roasting pan. Pour enough boiled water into the roasting pan so it reaches about halfway up the sides of the casserole dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 9 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, 3 to 6 more minutes.
Cook’s Note
You can add other ingredients, but this ham and cheese variation is one of the easiest.
To prevent broken yolks, crack the eggs into a glass or cup first, then gently slide them into the casserole dish.
You can use Comté cheese instead of Gruyère.