Baked Eggs in Ramekins
The advantage here is that every portion is ready at the same moment, which a frying pan never manages. But there is a condition: the water bath. Without it the bottom layer of white turns rubbery before the top has set. Water holds a steady hundred degrees around the dishes and the eggs cook evenly. And the generous spoon of cream underneath is not for flavour but to keep the base from drying out.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 14 min
- Total
- 24 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 220 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: 4 ramekins, 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
Oven
190 °C · top and bottom heat, no fan
With a fan: 170 °C
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Step 1: Butter the ramekins
Butter four 150 ml ramekins, sides included. Skip this and baked white sticks so hard the dish needs soaking.
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Step 2: Add the cream
Pour a tablespoon of cream into each. It is the layer between egg and hot ceramic, and it is what stops the base of the white drying to rubber.
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Step 3: Crack the eggs
Crack each egg into a cup and slide it into a ramekin. The yolk stays whole that way and no shell finds its way in.
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Step 4: Season and top
Season and scatter grated cheese over. Keep it off the yolk — cheese on top makes it harder to see when the egg is done.
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Step 5: Set up the water bath
Stand the ramekins in a deep tray and pour in boiling water to come halfway up their sides. Put the tray in the oven with the water already in it; carrying it hot is awkward and risky.
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Step 6: Bake 14 minutes
Bake at 190 °C for 12–15 minutes. You can see when it is done: the white has turned opaque and the yolk still wobbles clearly when you nudge the dish.
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Step 7: Serve hot
Lift them out carefully — the dishes and the water are very hot. Scatter chives and serve with toast: this yolk exists to have bread dipped into it.
Tips & variations
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Tip
The eggs go on cooking for another minute out of the oven from the heat in the ceramic. So take them out while the yolk still looks too loose.
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Variation
Put a spoonful of fried mushrooms, wilted spinach or ham in the bottom before the egg. The timing does not change.
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Tip
For a firmer yolk, give them 18–20 minutes. Four minutes is the whole difference between runny and set here.
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Storage
Not a dish to keep: a reheated yolk sets hard and loses the point. Bake exactly as many as there are people at the table.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 220 kcal | 880 kcal |
| Protein | 11 g | 44 g |
| Fat | 18 g | 72 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g | 8 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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