Eggs in Cocotte with Leeks

Don't let the fancy-sounding name fool you. This is a very easy dish to prepare and only has a few ingredients. You just cook leeks, put them in a ramekin, and then crack eggs over them and bake the whole thing in the oven.

If you don't have ramekins, I think you could just make this dish in a pan on your stove. You could cook the leeks in butter on the stove, crack eggs over the cooked leeks, cover and cook until the eggs are done the way you like them. Though, I have to say, the ramekins make a nice presentation. I'm not a big proponent of buying all kinds of kitchen equipment; but, I think ramekins are a nice investment. They are inexpensive and they make this dish and even a simple chocolate pudding look dressed up.

I think that it is a shame that most people think of eggs as a breakfast food. This egg dish (and many others) makes a great dinner. I served the eggs with some rainbow chard that I sauteed with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flake; and, some pan roasted potatoes.

I got this dish from The Silver Spoon Cookbook. This cookbook is a classic in Italy; and, a bit overwhelming (there are 1200 pages). But, it is full of good and simple recipes like this one.

Eggs En Cocotte with Leeks

Ingredients:

1 pound of leeks, washed and trimmed

1/4 cup of butter

pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

4 eggs

salt and pepper

Halve the leeks lengthwise, then slice them very thinly. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the leeks and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Stir well and add 3 tablespoons warm water, then cover and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease four ramekins with butter. Divide leeks among the ramekins, break an egg into each dish and bake for 8-10 minutes depending on how well done you like your eggs.