Shirred eggs

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baked egg
Shirred eggs ("œufs cocotte à la provençale")
Alternative namesBaked eggs
Œufs cocotte
Place of originFrance
Main ingredientsEggs
VariationsEggs en cocotte

Shirred eggs, also known as baked eggs, are eggs that have been baked in a flat-bottomed dish; the name originates from the type of dish in which it was traditionally baked. Shirred eggs are 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 œufs en cocotte.

Description[edit]

Shirred eggs are eggs that 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 œufs en cocotte, which are baked in a ramekin sitting in a bain-marie, or water bath.[1] 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.[3]

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.[4] Another variation suggested by the United States Department of Agriculture during the 1920s was to break the eggs into a bed of cooked rice.[5]

Shirred eggs have also been compared to eggs Benedict; chef James Ramsden has described them as a more reliable and simpler recipe.[6]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Simmons, Marie (2000). The Good Egg. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. p. 84. ISBN 9780395909911.
  2. ^ Meritt Farmer, Fannie (1896). Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. New York: Weathervane Books. p. 94. ISBN 9780517177402.
  3. ^ Gillette, Fanny; Ziemann, Hugo (1996). The White House Cookbook. Minneapolis: Chronimed Pub. p. 181. ISBN 9781565610835.
  4. ^ Graves, Helen (20 February 2012). "One-Pot Winter Warmers: Baked eggs with smoked mackerel". AOL Lifestyle. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  5. ^ "Shirred Eggs Always Good". The Pueblo Indicator. 30 June 1928. p. 8. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  6. ^ Ramsden, James. "Valentine's baked eggs". 8 February 2012. www.jamesramsden.com. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
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