Eggs Over Easy

Again, inspired by Marc Bittman, a seriously old-school dish that's just so nostalgic. I haven't had devilled eggs since I made a batch in home-ec class decades ago. And even then, I don't remember it being this good. It was the shrimp that sold me — I'll eat shrimp in anything — and despite what everyone says about how bad it is for you, I adore egg yolks. The olives — an ingredient I can't say I am fond of — were an inspired addition. The overall dish made for great, simple children's party food, or a 1950s style hor'dourves.

As for these eggs en cocotte, I like them best with a teeny dollop of truffle salsa at the bottom.





Devilled Eggs with Shrimp
Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman in the New York Times

Serves 4

4 eggs
5 green olives, pitted and chopped
125 grams prawns, shelled, boiled and chopped
half a white onion, minced
1 1/2 tbsp English parsley, minced
1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
2 tbsp mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the eggs. Shell the eggs and cut into half. Gently remove the yolks from the whites.

Mash the yolks with one tbsp of the parsley and all the other ingredients. Then use a teaspoon to stuff the egg yolk mixture back into the whites.

Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.


Eggs En Cocotte
Serves 4

4 large fresh eggs
15g butter (divided into four portions)
4 tbsp thickened cream
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Bring a kettle of water to the boil and preheat your oven to 180 degrees C.

Break each egg into a saucer then slide it into a ramekin (each egg should have its own ramekin). Season each with a tiny pinch of salt and a dash of pepper and top each egg with a portion of butter. Lastly, top with a tablespoon of cream.

Place the ramekins in a baking tin and place it in the middle shelf of your oven. Pour boiling water into the baking tin until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Let the eggs bake for 15 minutes if you like them soft and runny, and 18 minutes if you like them more set. Bear in mind that the eggs continue to cook for a few minutes after you’ve removed them from the oven.

Sprinkle a little parsley over each baked egg 1–2 minutes before the end of cooking time.