Shirred eggs

Shirred eggs
Shirred eggs ("Œufs cocotte à la provençale")
Alternative name(s):
Baked eggs
Main ingredient(s):
eggs
Variations:
Eggs en cocotte.
Recipes at Wikibooks:
Shirred eggs
Media at Wikimedia Commons:
Shirred eggs

Shirred eggs, also known as baked eggs, is a dish in which eggs have been baked in a flat-bottomed dish; the name originates from the type of dish in which it was traditionally baked. It is considered a simple and reliable dish that can be easily varied and expanded upon. An alternative way of cooking is to crack the eggs into individual ramekins and cook them in a water bath, creating the French dish eggs en cocotte.

Description

Shirred eggs is an egg dish where eggs have been baked in a gratin dish with a flat bottom.^[1] Traditionally they have been cooked in a dish called a shirrer, from which the dish gets its name,^[2] but the name now applies regardless of the type of dish in which they are baked. They differ from eggs en cocotte, which are baked in a ramekin sitting in a bain-marie, or water bath.^[1] Shirred eggs can be served at breakfast,^{[citation needed]} brunch or lunch.^[3][4] They are typically baked simply with butter until the whites have set and the yolks are thickened, and are usually served in the dish in which they were baked.^[5]

Variations on the recipe include adding breadcrumbs or cheese to the top of the eggs to create a crust, or garnishing with herbs such as tarragon.^[1] Adding a protein such as fish to the dish has also been suggested by chefs to round it out sufficiently to make it suitable as a dinner-time option.^[6] Another variation suggested by the United States Department of Agriculture during the 1920s was to break the eggs into a bed of pre-cooked rice.^[7]

Shirred eggs have also been compared to Eggs Benedict; chef James Ramsden has described them as a more reliable and simpler recipe.^[8]

References