Herbed-Baked Eggs | Shirred Eggs

The herbed-baked eggs are also known as shirred eggs. A dish consisting of an egg that is placed in a small buttered dish and broiled until the white is set, but the yolk remains liquid. The beauty of the shirred egg is, you can bake many at a time, making this the perfect dish for any brunch. The yolks are creamy and luscious while the whites are just firm enough to use a fork.

I have never made shirred eggs before, so I started by cooking one plate for myself for brunch. I had loaves of five-grain bread fresh out of the oven, some herbed-baked eggs seem to be just the right thing to make and to eat. Grab a gratin dish. Crack three eggs, without breaking the yolks, and set aside. Combine fresh garlic, herbs and Parmesan cheese and make the herb mixture that goes on top of the eggs. Then set into motion of putting the gratin of eggs under the broiler. Minutes later (five minutes seem to work best), brunch is on the table.

It’s hard to resist the crusty, herby, cheesy topping with runny egg yolks hidden just below the surface. When I see the luscious yellow yolk peeking through like the sun breaking behind the clouds, it puts a smile on my face. The joy of cooking asserting itself once again! Dipping the five-grain bread on the plate to wipe clean all the goodies left at the bottom is such a fun way to soak up everything the herbed-baked eggs have to offer. I see no reason why you can’t serve the eggs on a bed of rice or with other proteins.

Next time I make the herbed-baked eggs, I can easily scale this recipe to accommodate a large crowd. You are only limited by the number of gratin dishes which you can use under the broiler and serve on the table. (Pyrex or ovenproof paper bowls may be handy if you don’t have enough gratin dishes.) It is a quick, reliable, one-dish method to cook eggs that’d invariably fill your belly and delight your senses.

Quick tips: the eggs will continue to cook after they come out of the oven. If they sit in the hot gratin dish for too long, the runny egg yolks will become hard-boiled. So it might be judicious to under-bake rather than over-bake the eggs. If you use less than three eggs in each dish, reduce the time under the broiler accordingly.

Print Recipe

Herbed-Baked Eggs

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 12 extra-large eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving

Instructions

1

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

2

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan cheese and set aside. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 4 small bowls or teacups (you won’t be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It’s very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)

3

Place four individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren’t cooking evenly.) The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.

Notes

Adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris