The eggs stand alone

In one corner: a lemony, herb-laced fromage blanc, perfect for dredging a baton of bread through before popping the whole thing into your mouth. In the other corner: eggs en cocotte.

I know, I've made the fromage blanc spread sound far more addictive (and it is astoundingly good) but I have to say it's the eggs en cocotte that I want to make every evening of late. Can I be blamed for falling in love with a dish whose very name seems to coo softly, oh please make me every time I give it a glance? 

I didn't think so.

My good friend Louisa, she being the latest MIX cover girl and (as of tomorrow) my cooking instructor, sent this recipe over with a photo that was positively mouthwatering. That image made me believe this would be the golden child of a week's worth of meals, and I was right. These humble baked eggs have trumped everything I've made since we first met.  

Eggs en cocotte is a superbly simple sort of dish, one that's rich and creamy and belly warming at once without hitting you over the head with said richness. With the addition of bright green spinach, it even feels healthful and subtly spring-esque. I imagine it's just the sort of thing I'll want to serve around Easter with mimosas on the side.

Here's what I love best about this dish though: it has layers. Once I broke through the crust of the baked eggs, I found myself trying to concoct the perfect bite, one that included the slippery egg white and runny yolk, the crunchy-chewy croutons, the supple spinach and the sweet onions hidden way down beneath. That bite was pure, perfect bliss.

There's not much more I can say about this dish except to offer the thought that since this is a winning dish, you should take the chance to dress it up. Louisa's suggestion: set it atop a folded napkin on a small plate and serve it as the first course at a dinner party. The napkin, you see, gives the dish an elegant edge and hints that these aren't your average baked eggs. 

Eggs en Cocotte 
The name is fancy and yet this dish is nearly effortless to make. The one key to this recipe, says Louisa, is to fry the bread cubes in butter until they are golden on the outside but still give a little in the middle. 

4 servings

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the ramekins
3 slices (about 1 1/2 cups) artisan bread, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion (about 1 cup), diced
1 1/2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs
2 ounces heavy cream
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter the insides of four 8-ounce ramekins.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the bread to the skillet and fry, stirring occasionally, until the bread is crispy and brown on the outside. Transfer the croutons to a small bowl.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet and add the onions, cooking until they have softened slightly and are golden brown. Divide the onions between the ramekins, then layer the chopped spinach over the onions. Pile the croutons on top of the spinach and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Fill a large Dutch oven with 1 inch of water and place it on the stove top. Break an egg into each ramekin and spoon the cream over the eggs, dividing it equally between the ramekins. Set the ramekins in the pot and bring the water to a boil.

When the water begins to boil, place the pot in the oven. Bake the eggs for approximately 10 minutes, until the egg whites are set. The yolks should be soft and runny. Garnish with the chopped parsley and additional salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

-Recipe from Louisa Neumann