baked eggs
It’s time for lunch
It’s after two
What on earth am I going to do?
Baked eggs are not the best “I need to eat now” kind of food. But boy do they ever hit just the right spot.
I’ve been playing with this recipe for a while. It is simple, flexible and once you understand the basics, the combinations are endless.
Although it’s not dairy-free due to the luscious inclusion of butter, olive oil is an ok substitute as my recipe contains no cream or cheese. If you have a good feel for flavour combining, just use your imagine. If you're after some ideas, pick an ingredient, grab Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook's Companion and consult the notes on what it goes well with. She’ll guide you through the right companions.
I’ve been given a lot of sage lately and checked with Stephanie as to what non-meaty things it goes with. Leeks! Butter! Eggs! Oh yes…baked eggs with leeks and sage here I come…but first some basics.
Baked egg basics
• This is such a flexible recipe – just as easy for one as it is for six.
• Use two eggs per person (unless you are very hungry).
• Choose an ovenproof dish that will snugly hold the number of eggs you want to cook. They want to nestle next to each other.
• Use an even smaller dish if you are doing plain eggs, just butter the dish, dot the eggs with butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs if desired.
• If using a base e.g. chilli beans or a thick tomato sauce, create a well with the back of a spoon for the eggs to sit in separately.
• Cook in a bain maire, an oven dish filled with water to go half way up the dish you are baking the eggs in – the eggs seem softer and fluffier when cooked this way.
• Eggs like to be cooked low and slow. Be patient.
• Remember to pre-heat the oven to 180c (175c fan-forced).
• Cooking times vary depending on how you like your yolks. 10 minutes is very runny, 15 in between, 20 softly set (ideal for pregnant women and those with a compromised immune system).
Baked eggs with leeks and sage
(Serves 1)
1/2 –1 leek, sliced about 2-3 cm wide
Oil/butter
4-6 fresh sage leaves
2 organic eggs
“Greek fasting fetta” (dairy-free cheese) – about 1 tablespoon, crumbled
Salt and pepper.
Melt some butter in a small frying pan. Use olive oil if you’d prefer it or half and half oil and butter. Cook the leeks on low, covered with a lid for 5-10 minutes til soft.
Grease your ovenproof dish. Spread the cooked leeks in an even layer in the bottom of the dish. Rip up a couple of sage leaves and scatter over the leeks. Carefully break your eggs one at a time and place on top. Now sprinkle on the crumbled fetta, more sage and salt and pepper if desired.
Cook at 180c for 15-20 minutes.
Fresh out of the oven. I like my eggs just set
Baked eggs also go well with arepas.
It’s after two
What on earth am I going to do?
Baked eggs are not the best “I need to eat now” kind of food. But boy do they ever hit just the right spot.
I’ve been playing with this recipe for a while. It is simple, flexible and once you understand the basics, the combinations are endless.
Although it’s not dairy-free due to the luscious inclusion of butter, olive oil is an ok substitute as my recipe contains no cream or cheese. If you have a good feel for flavour combining, just use your imagine. If you're after some ideas, pick an ingredient, grab Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook's Companion and consult the notes on what it goes well with. She’ll guide you through the right companions.
I’ve been given a lot of sage lately and checked with Stephanie as to what non-meaty things it goes with. Leeks! Butter! Eggs! Oh yes…baked eggs with leeks and sage here I come…but first some basics.
Baked egg basics
• This is such a flexible recipe – just as easy for one as it is for six.
• Use two eggs per person (unless you are very hungry).
• Choose an ovenproof dish that will snugly hold the number of eggs you want to cook. They want to nestle next to each other.
• Use an even smaller dish if you are doing plain eggs, just butter the dish, dot the eggs with butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs if desired.
• If using a base e.g. chilli beans or a thick tomato sauce, create a well with the back of a spoon for the eggs to sit in separately.
• Cook in a bain maire, an oven dish filled with water to go half way up the dish you are baking the eggs in – the eggs seem softer and fluffier when cooked this way.
• Eggs like to be cooked low and slow. Be patient.
• Remember to pre-heat the oven to 180c (175c fan-forced).
• Cooking times vary depending on how you like your yolks. 10 minutes is very runny, 15 in between, 20 softly set (ideal for pregnant women and those with a compromised immune system).
Baked eggs with leeks and sage
(Serves 1)
1/2 –1 leek, sliced about 2-3 cm wide
Oil/butter
4-6 fresh sage leaves
2 organic eggs
“Greek fasting fetta” (dairy-free cheese) – about 1 tablespoon, crumbled
Salt and pepper.
Melt some butter in a small frying pan. Use olive oil if you’d prefer it or half and half oil and butter. Cook the leeks on low, covered with a lid for 5-10 minutes til soft.
Grease your ovenproof dish. Spread the cooked leeks in an even layer in the bottom of the dish. Rip up a couple of sage leaves and scatter over the leeks. Carefully break your eggs one at a time and place on top. Now sprinkle on the crumbled fetta, more sage and salt and pepper if desired.
Cook at 180c for 15-20 minutes.
Fresh out of the oven. I like my eggs just set
Baked eggs also go well with arepas.
Labels: baked eggs, butter, leeks, sage, stephanie alexander, vegetarian
posted by GS at 3:17 pm
7 Comments:
I like! Gonna do it. (Has all the hallmarks of a comforting winter late breakfast.)
It does indeed your lordship :)
ZOMG! Yum. Love baked eggs, and am hungry right now. Ravenous in fact.
I have this "fear" when it comes to baked eggs. It's just a strange dish for me. With your guide in hands, I will be making this for breakfast this coming weekend!
Reemski - glad I got the juices flowing!
Anh - thank you for your gracious comment. Am happy to have given you the confidence to give it a go - now come back next week and tell me how they went!
Thanks for the recipe! I am baking some right now - I can't wait to try them. :)
your eggs in the picture seem a bit over cooked, my self i prefer them runny, golden and gooey, like a nice booger
Post a Comment
<< Home