Eggs in pots (oeufs en cocotte)

Eggs and crème fraîche are all you need for this super simple yet very tasty dish. You can also throw in almost anything savoury you find in your fridge. Try serving it with plenty of crusty bread.

• serves

  4

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 150 g (5½ oz) crème fraîche
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 1 handful chopped dill
• 4 free-range eggs

To garnish

• red lumpfish roe
• small sprigs of dill

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.

Season the crème fraîche with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

Place a heaped tablespoon of crème fraîche in the bottom of a ramekin, followed by a little dill.

Crack an egg on top, add a second tablespoon of crème fraîche and sprinkle with a pinch each of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Repeat with three more ramekins.

Place the ramekins in a baking dish and pour enough lukewarm water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the egg yolks are set to your liking.

If you like, finish each serving with a teaspoon of red lumpfish roe and a sprig or two of dill.

Recipes from Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo (Michael Joseph, 2012). Text © 2012 by Rachel Khoo. Photography by David Loftus.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.