Eggs en Cocotte (with Mushrooms and Spinach)

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast."

~John Gunther

egg en cocotte n /g -ɛn -kəʊˈkɒt kə/ egg cooked individually in a small ramekin

(Ramekin? It is just a small dish used for baking and serving. You'll need four of them for this recipe.)

I like making breakfast. There's a certain edge to morning hunger that seems to make people more appreciative and creates an atmosphere conducive to vocalized praise. And to me, the "mmmmmms" and "ahhhhhs" are the real reward of being a cook.

Eggs en Cocotte are perfect because they sound like fancy French cuisine but are actually very simple to make.

In its simplest form, an 'egg en cocotte' is just an egg baked with either butter or cream in a diminutive casserole dish, with the whites set and the yolk soft.

But the variations of what you can do with that base are endless. This iteration was inspired by a post on Google+'s amazing Social Skillet and for it I raided the garden and supplemented that with some mushrooms. The results were spectacular.

Eggs en Cocotte (with Mushrooms and Spinach)
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 leaves (straws) chives, chopped
10 mushrooms, chopped
6 cups raw baby spinach
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs unsalted butter
5-8 basil leaves, shredded
4 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the ramekins with oil or butter and set aside.

In a large pan, melt the butter and oil over medium heat. Cook the garlic, onion, pepper, and mushrooms until tender.

Add the baby spinach and chives and cook until soft. Season sparingly with salt and pepper.

Now fill the four ramekins with equal portions of this delicious veggie mix. Make a well in the middle, with the bottom covered, for the eggs.

Carefully break an egg into each of the prepared ramekins. Season with salt and pepper and top with the basil.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan (an 8-inch by 11-inch "brownie pan" works very well) and pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake the eggs for about 15 minutes for soft, runny eggs, or about 18 minutes for more set eggs. The eggs do continue to cook in the ramekins even after you remove them from the oven.

Makes 4 servings.