Mushroom and Gruyère Eggs en Cocotte Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Editorial Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated April 10, 2019
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Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Making a divot in the center of the mushroom layer in each ramekin helps hold the yolks right in the middle of the ramekins.
  • A low oven and hot water bath cook the eggs slowly, giving you a wide window of opportunity to pull them out before the yolks fully set.

These easy, individually baked eggs start with a base layer of mushroom duxelles and are topped with a coating of melted Gruyère cheese. The duxelles is made by sautéing minced mushrooms, shallots, and garlic in butter with thyme until they've released all their liquid and then browned and deepened in flavor. A splash of cream adds a silky richness.

Recipe Details

Mushroom and Gruyère Eggs en Cocotte Recipe

Active 45 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces (280g) cremini mushrooms, woody stems trimmed and caps roughly chopped

  • 1 medium shallot, roughly chopped

  • 1 medium clove garlic, roughly chopped

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ounce; 30g), plus more for greasing ramekins

  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) fresh thyme leaves, minced

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream, plus more for drizzling into each ramekin

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 large eggs

  • 2 ounces (55g) grated Gruyère cheese

  • Boiling water

  • Minced flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, for garnish

  • Toasted bread, for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a food processor, process mushrooms, shallot, and garlic until finely chopped, 6 to 8 short pulses.

  2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until foaming. Add mushroom mixture and minced thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms' water releases and cooks off and mushrooms begin to darken and brown, about 15 minutes total. Stir heavy cream into mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.

  3. Grease 4 (4-ounce) ramekins with butter. Lightly sprinkle salt on the bottom and side of each ramekin. Scoop enough mushroom duxelles to form a thin, even layer on the bottom of each ramekin. Form a circular depression in the center of the mushroom duxelles in each ramekin. (This will help cradle the egg yolk and keep it centered.)

  4. Gently slide an egg into each ramekin. Drizzle a small amount of cream around each egg, then season with salt and pepper. Top each egg with a light layer of grated cheese.

  5. Place ramekins in a baking dish and transfer to oven. Carefully pour enough boiling water into baking dish to submerge ramekins 3/4 of the way. Bake eggs en cocotte until whites are just set and yolks are still jiggly, about 15 minutes. Very carefully remove baking dish from oven.

  6. Using a very thin metal spatula and tongs, lift each ramekin out of the hot water. Set ramekins on a clean kitchen towel to dry bottoms, then transfer to plates. Garnish with parsley and serve right away with toasts.

Special equipment

Food processor or mini food processor, 4 (4-ounce) ramekins, baking dish

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
317Calories
21gFat
18gCarbs
15gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories317
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g27%
Saturated Fat 11g56%
Cholesterol 231mg77%
Sodium 403mg18%
Total Carbohydrate 18g7%
Dietary Fiber 2g6%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 3mg14%
Calcium 224mg17%
Iron 2mg12%
Potassium 491mg10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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