Like everybody else in the world, I read Julie & Julia and My Life in France and immediately decided that I just had to dive headfirst into French cooking. I was particularly fascinated by Oeufs en Cocotte (eggs baked with cream), and figured that New Year’s Day was a perfect time to give the recipe a shot (above, they’re served with strawberries and way-expensive-but-totally-worth-it bacon).

And oh my goodness, was I not disappointed. They are incredibly light and delicate, and have the most subtle, lovely flavor – kind of like a dreamy essence of egg.

OEUFS EN COCOTTE (serves 2)

What you need: 

2 ramekins

1 small oven-safe baking dish

2 eggs

A couple of pats of butter

3 tablespoons of heavy cream

Salt 

What you do:

1. Butter each ramekin well.

2. Crack an egg into each ramekin and top each with 1 1/2 tbsp of cream. Season lightly (you can always add more salt later).

3. Place the ramekins in the baking dish and fill the baking dish with about 3/4” of simmering water, or until it comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

4. Bake for about 8-10 minutes (mine took a little longer because my oven is persnickety) at 350F. They’re done when they’re just set but still jiggle around a bit in the ramekins.

There are lots of different things that can be added to this dish to mix it up (sauteed mushrooms, fresh herbs, smoked salmon & chives, etc). Just place whatever you’d like to try out in the bottom of the ramekin after buttering it, and gently crack the egg over the top.

Tip: Use the highest-quality eggs you can get your hands on for best results.