Photo by Charlotte Greene
Provenance of Dish
This is a dish I cobbled together with ingredients I had left over after a few days of rich cooking. It has since become a favorite special-day breakfast in our house! The recipe can easily be scaled up or down to serve more or less.
Recipe
Ingredients
8 oz cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
4 oz onion, chopped (small onion)
1/2 tbsp fresh sage, or 1/2 tsp dry
1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dry
1/2 tbsp fresh Rosemary, or 1/2 tsp dry
3 tbsp salted butter, separated
1/2 cup heavy cream, separated
1 tbsp flour
4 to 8 eggs
4 oz shredded gruyere
2 oz grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease four ramekins with butter or oil and place them into a baking dish.
Place chopped cremini mushrooms in a dry pan over medium heat with a pinch of salt and pepper until they release their liquid and begin to brown. Allow most of the liquid to evaporate.
Add the onion and one tablespoon of butter to the pan with a little more salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent.
Push the mushrooms and onions to one side of pan. Cook the remaining two tablespoons of butter on the empty side of the pan until it foams, then stir the flour into the foaming butter and cook it for about 30 seconds.
Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and all of the herbs to the pan. Stir all of the ingredients together and taste for seasoning. Add salt and/or pepper to taste. You want it to be perfectly seasoned before it goes in the oven!
Equally divide the mushroom mixture between the 4 ramekins.
Crack one or two eggs on top of the mushrooms, depending on your appetite and the size of your mushrooms. Leave at least 1/2 an inch of space for cheese. Season the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of cream equally over the 4 ramekins.
Sprinkle the ramekins equally with the gruyere, then the Parmesan.
Pour boiling water into the baking pan holding the ramekins until the water comes halfway up the sides of your ramekins. This will help your eggs bake evenly.
Place in the heated oven for 15-20 minutes depending on how soft you would like your yolk.
Broil the dish on high for a few minutes until browned.
Be very careful removing ramekins from the water bath. They will be very hot! Use tongs and oven kits to transfer the ramekins to plates for serving.
Garnish with fresh herbs of your choice and serve with lots and lots of buttered points. I recommend a sourdough or hearty whole wheat bread for toast!
