The Silver Cocotte - Baked Eggs with Bacon and Onion

It's been awhile since i last posted a recipe, and what better way to share one than this simple but utterly delicious dish of baked eggs.

Eggs cocotte is simply baked eggs, usually with some garnish or ingredients interspersed to give it more depth and texture. Largely french inspired, it is not that common in cafes and restaurants here these days.

Which is surprising, considering how tasty it can be, and how quickly it can be whipped up.

The key to making a good cocotte is to ensure you cook everything to the right temperature, and making sure your oven is piping hot before you put your eggs and mixture in.

I like my cocotte to have bit more protein and sweetness, hence I do it with the classic flavor profile of bacon and onions.

To begin, make sure you cook everything in the ramekin or baking utensil that you will bake it in later. This is to ensure that your cocotte will not lose any heat or temperature along the way.

Cut about 2 strips of streaky bacon into small slices, and saute it until the smokiness of the bacon is extracted. As the fat is rendered, add in one onion that is finely diced.

Cook until the onion bits are translucent and the sugars are extracted and caramelized. Season with a bit of salt and black pepper.

Add in about 50gm of minced pork and stir the resulting mixture continuously until they are evenly coated throughout. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 190 degrees 10 minutes before you put in the cocotte.

Crack 2 eggs gently over the mixture, ensuring the yolks do not break. It is best to use fresh eggs in this instance as eggs that are too old will usually not retain that nice yolk structure that is required for this dish.

If you like, sprinkle a handful of grated Parmesan cheese to add a bit more savoriness to the cocotte, though the bacon should have enough salt to season the dish.

Pop the eggs cocotte into the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. Once you see the egg whites becoming opaque, that is a sign that the eggs have set and you should immediately take it out.

Finish off with a touch of grounded peppercorns or black pepper, and garnish with some parsley and it is done.

If done correctly, when you break into the yolks, it should break and ooze a creamy yolk sauce over the rest of the ingredients.

This is one of those perfect little brekkie dishes that should please almost anyone in the family. Enjoy!