Baked Eggs... the superior, lesser known relative of Poached Eggs?

[EatNopales]

One of the traditional ways to prepare Turkey & Duck eggs in Mesoamerican cuisine is the crack the raw egg into a "cup" made out of some kind of leaf / husk such as Dried Corn Husk, Fresh Hoja Santa or Banana leaves etc., The cup is put on a comal, the whole thing covered with a clay bowl... and after a few minutes the white is set & yolk runny.

A few weeks ago I bacon larded a ramekin, cracked an egg into it, salted & baked at 425F for about 5 minutes or so until the white set & yolk was runny... an instant household favorite... even the 2 1/2 year old that stopped eating poached eggs asks for one every day.

Unlike a poached egg... the baked egg has a better texture & more concentrated flavor & is actually much easier to deliver a perfect result consistently.

Not sure why this method isn't more widely discussed online... if it is old news to you... then disregard my ignorance... if it is new to you... try it.. the results are awesome!

[kayb]

I like that in a ramekin atop a layer of cheese grits, topped with a tablespoon or so of cream, and if you wish, some diced, shredded or chopped cooked meat of some sort. A riff on the classic ouefs en cocotte.

[Kim Shook]

Yep! Our own MiFi introduced me to them 3 years ago and they are a favorite here. It’s a great way to do eggs for a fairly big group without doing a casserole and everyone can have whatever they like on/in them. I do admit to a tendency to slightly overcook them, but I do it with poached eggs, too. And somehow, all the cream and bacon and cheese and herbs are much more forgiving than a stark poached egg when you over do things a bit.

[andiesenji]

When I was catering, I used to make shirred or baked eggs for brunches - I had a large number of the Portmeirion Botanic Garden Breakfast Cup and Saucer sets that a friend who had owned a tea shop gave me and these were perfect for baking and serving the eggs - two to a cup.

It made a very pretty presentation and the cups were much easier to handle than ramekins.

I placed the cups on a sheet pan, slid it into the oven and poured about half an inch of boiling water into the sheet pan. I found that this "trick" cooked the whites at the bottom of the cups more quickly and allowed the yolks to remain runny.

As I recall, I could do 36 at a time on a full sheet pan, possibly only 24, but it depended on how many people were being served. As many of these were buffet service, having the cool saucer under the cup made service much easier.

Check this link.

Baked Eggs - Shirred Eggs - Oeufs En Cocotte

Edited March 29, 2012 by andiesenji (log)

[rotuts]

Ive seen 'phyllo pockets' placed into a cup-cake baking tray where then an egg (+ other favorite things - bacon? Ham?) is added and then baked for 'brunch for many'

I haven't made them but you get the idea: some added crunch.

[percyn]

Steak and egg gratin - a version of baked eggs at Thomas Keller's Bouchon in Las Vegas:

[rotuts]

Wow. Very serious Wow!

is this in by chance one of their books?

even the toast looks perfect!

[ElsieD]

My husband has been trying to make eggs en cocotte and is having difficulty getting the whites to set and the yolks runny. Either the yolks are set and the whites runny or the whites are set and the yolks overlooked. Neither of us likes runny whites but we love runny yolks. He puts puréed asparagus in the bottom of a ramekin, and tops this with an egg. The ramekins are baked in a hot water bath in a 350 oven for about 8 minutes. They are then topped with a morel cream sauce and a couple of asparagus spears and the yolk is sprinkled with a bit of cayenne pepper. They are incredibly tasty little things but would be even better if the whites were set and the yolks runny. Are we doing something wrong? I'm wondering if the answer is to separate the eggs, bake the whites for a few minutes and then add the yolks? Any and all suggestions appreciated.

[CatPoet]

I party fry bacon, place the rashes in to muffin tins and the pour a egg in the middle, perfect for fancy breakfasts.

[HungryC]

I make shakshuka all the time, but I do it on the stovetop and not the oven.  Ditto for eggs florentine:  I think the texture is better when cooked on stovetop; I've had trouble getting the whites & yolks done just right in the oven.  Skillet & a glass lid allow me to see exactly when the eggs are perfect.

[Anna N]

I make shakshuka all the time, but I do it on the stovetop and not the oven.  Ditto for eggs florentine:  I think the texture is better when cooked on stovetop; I've had trouble getting the whites & yolks done just right in the oven.  Skillet & a glass lid allow me to see exactly when the eggs are perfect.

So you are suggesting a stove top bain-marie? Sounds reasonable. Certainly worth a shot. I have had a similar problem to Elsie's.

[HungryC]

So you are suggesting a stove top bain-marie? Sounds reasonable. Certainly worth a shot. I have had a similar problem to Elsie's.

No bain marie...way too fussy for me in the early AM.  I make the shakshuka sauce in big batches, then portion it and freeze.  I defrost it in the microwave, then spread it in a skillet & add a handful of chopped spinach/kale and a scattering of sheep's milk feta, make a few dents for the egg(s), and cook over gentle heat.  When the sauce starts to bubble around the edges, I cover the skillet. About 7-10 minutes, depending on heat & egg size.  For florentine, I saute a little chopped onion, then splash in some cream...when the cream starts to bubble, add torn spinach, nutmeg, white pepper, and make a few dents for the eggs.  Cook until spinach wilts and egg is as done as you'd like.

 

I did this in the oven for a while, but I kept over cooking the yolks.  Stovetop means I can still have a runny, dippable yolk.  Covered skillet seems to help me get set whites and runny yolk.

[Anna N]

No bain marie...way too fussy for me in the early AM.  I make the shakshuka sauce in big batches, then portion it and freeze.  I defrost it in the microwave, then spread it in a skillet & add a handful of chopped spinach/kale and a scattering of sheep's milk feta, make a few dents for the egg(s), and cook over gentle heat.  When the sauce starts to bubble around the edges, I cover the skillet. About 7-10 minutes, depending on heat & egg size.  For florentine, I saute a little chopped onion, then splash in some cream...when the cream starts to bubble, add torn spinach, nutmeg, white pepper, and make a few dents for the eggs.  Cook until spinach wilts and egg is as done as you'd like.

 

I did this in the oven for a while, but I kept over cooking the yolks.  Stovetop means I can still have a runny, dippable yolk.  Covered skillet seems to help me get set whites and runny yolk.

Sorry. I obviously misunderstood. I was trying to apply your logic to Elsie's request for help. I see how it will work for shakshuka but not so much for individual baked eggs.

[Anna N]

Elsie,

I just watched a video on an app called EggTimer from the app store. It is free. The video is made by the Everyday Food group from Martha Stewart. The recipe calls for cheesy grits to go into a ramekin and then an egg is broken on top. The ramekins are placed on a baking sheet. There is no bain-marie involved. They are cooked at 400° F for 20 minutes. Supposedly the whites are set and the yolks runny. Not quite what you are attempting but perhaps worth a look.

[ElsieD]

Thanks, Anna. I'll have a look for it. As far as my eggs go, I think that just for a lark tomorrow I will put some eggs in custard cups, put them in a water bath in a sauté pan with a lid, and try cooking them that way. Maybe I will put a rack in the pan to keep the ramekins off the bottom of the pot. HungryC I did look up some recipes for shakshuka and while they look delicious, it is not what I am looking for. But thank you for your input.

[Smithy]

ElsieD, did you have any better success this time around?

I'm wondering, based on your description, whether the layer of egg is too thin so that the yolk isn't adequately protected from heat by the white, or the ramekin. It's normally my experience that the white sets first, not the yolk, and if I'm reading your first post correctly you've had the reverse happen. Another thought is that the temperature and/or time are wrong. There's been a lot of research posted about the results of cooking eggs (still in the shell) at a precise temperature in a warm-water circulating bath. Dave Arnold has put out a chart showing the uses and 'doneness' of eggs cooked at specific temperatures for an hour. Although you're trying to cook these in dishes using a more conventional method, you may find information here that helps home in on your target. Perhaps cooking for a longer time and lower temperature would help.

Here's one link to the chart and a discussion: http://www.splendidtable.org/story/theres-more-than-one-way-to-cook-an-egg-dave-arnold-has-11

Googling "Dave Arnold" and "eggs" will get a great deal more, many of them including the same chart.

[Ann_T]

I like eggs baked in cream.   Can be changed up by adding sauteed spinach , leeks, herbs, etc...   

 

 

Recent breakfast - baked in cream with sauteed cherry tomatoes and herbs.

 

 

Or they can be baked in a baked potato.

[chromedome]

I like 'em in a bed of mashed Buttercup or Sweet Dumpling squash. I know it sounds odd, but I find the combination of the sweet squash and the rich egg yolk is just irresistible. The side of bacon or ham can go underneath, in your dish, or just alongside on the plate. It's good, either way.