Messy Red Apron

Shirred Eggs

I had never heard of shirred eggs until I saw it on a program called The Essence of Emeril and it seemed pretty darn easy.  One lazy Saturday morning for brunch I thought I'd give it a shot.  Mind you, I didn't have all the ingredients and wasn't ready to get out of my pj's so I made do with what I had in the fridge. Here's my version:

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon butter
2 large slices of ham
4 eggs
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons cream
4 tablespoons cheddar cheese - grated

Here's how to do it:
Heat oven to 190degrees.

Smear ramekins with butter and line each with a slice of ham, making sure it sits flat on the bottom.

Using 2 separate bowls, crack one egg into each.  At the same time, pour eggs into 1 ramekin.  The eggs should sit side by side.  Repeat with remaining eggs.  Season with salt & pepper.

Put the ramekins onto a baking tray and transfer to oven.  Bake for about 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and and lightly drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons of cream over each ramekin. Be careful not to break the yolk.  Sprinkle with cheese and place back in oven for another 12 minutes or until egg is cooked but yolk is still runny. If you don't like runny eggs, simply cook for a bit longer.

Take out of oven and serve hot with buttered toast soldiers.

This recipe is very rich, creamy & filling.

Next time we will definitely try using Swiss cheese & herbs.

Enjoy!