The weather is warming up and flowers are starting to bloom – spring is in the air and that means – celebrations!!!! Easter, Passover, baby showers, wedding showers and high school and college graduations are just around the corner!! Of course, most celebrations involve food, so I thought I’d start posting some dishes that are not only great to have in your collection, but are also great additions to your entertaining menus this spring.
I am kicking things off with the perfect brunch dish – shirred eggs.
They are easy to make, have endless varieties and are beautiful to serve – AND there is little last minute work involved!! As a dish for entertaining, you really can’t ask for anything more. At it’s most basic, a shirred egg is simply an egg that is cooked in the oven in a small custard cup or ramekin until it is softly set. Generally, a little milk or cream is spooned over the egg before baking to keep it moist and tender. But that is just the beginning!! You can jazz them up with just about anything – onions, mushrooms, leeks, tomatoes, spinach, peppers, chiles, pancetta, bacon, ham, prosciutto, etc., etc. Think of your favorite omelette or hash for inspiration and go from there!! For these, I just sauteed a leek with a little tomato and added a bit of shredded parmesan. I spooned the vegetables into the bottom of the greased ramekin, cracked the egg on top, spooned a little cream over and into the oven they went. Garnished with a little smoked paprika and chives, this is terrific with coffee cake and some bacon for breakfast or paired with a lightly dressed salad for a light lunch or dinner.
Here are some other egg recipes you might like!
Guilty Kitchen – Shirred Eggs
What’s Gaby Cooking – Fried Garlic, Spinach and Feta Quiche
- 1 large, sliced Leek
- 2, seeded and diced tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup cream
- 2 Tbsp., minced chives
- salt and white pepper
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
Remove ramekins from oven and dust tops with smoked paprika and chives. Serve.
Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 25 mins Yield: 4 servings
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Have I been living under a rock? I’d never heard of Shirred eggs till just now, thanks for sharing this fab egg dish Nancy. I can’t wait to make it for the boys!
I haven’t made these before. What’s the egg consistency like when they’re done?
These are my Go-To brunch and weekend quickies, too. We often think alike and I love that. I use Clotilde Dusoulier’s (Oeuf Cocote in Chocolate & Zucchini) idea of laying a slice of tomato in the bottom. Your pics are SO inviting and loved your cooking the leeks, etc.. first. Mmmm.
these are one of my favorites and you make it just way i like to eat it. your photos, Nancy, are right on point!!!!! x
Is there a difference between baked, shirred and coddled eggs? Curious! Love them! Sometimes make this with duck eggs – bigger yolk to white ratio so cooks but stays runny.
I love shirred eggs especially with some toast “soldiers” for dipping. Mmm…runny yolk is my fave!
I must get on it and make some shirred eggs! These look amazing & so simple.
I love the simplicity of this dish – perfect dinner for one or two light eaters !
Your shirred eggs look wonderful and gorgeous photos.
Great brunch idea! putting it in my recipe file~
I have neve heard of these before but they look wonderful.
I’ve never made shirred eggs, but now I see I need to give these a try. Your photo is just beautiful.
Thanks Lynne!! I think you’d like these – the fact that you can put pretty much whatever you like with them makes them a winner in my book!!
I love shirred eggs but haven’t had them in years…now why is that? I am so in the habit for Easter of making creamed eggs on toast points as a way of using up all those hard boiled eggs but my children are grown and I can move on, right?
Beautiful pictures too and I haven’t had breakfast yet…seriously thinking this might be brunch!
It is funny how we get stuck making many of the same dishes – and yes, you have my permission to move on!!! I struggled a bit with this photo but it is getting easier!!
At the Gabrielle Hamilton class I attended a few weeks ago, she made a similar brunch dish. I love how versatile this is. It really can be suited to any taste. Your version sounds fantastic, and I love the paprika and chives on top!
I do too and the fact that they are so easy to make and look so pretty!! I want to try a version with chorizo and onions with a little chile pepper on top.. I’ve got to stop, I am making myself hungry!
Anything with a runny yolk works for me. I’d have to make some toast on the side to mop up the goodness.
Perfect for brunch!
[K]