Baked Eggs With Crème Fraîche and Smoked Salmon
Runny-yolked eggs baked in individual ramekins or custard cups make for a very elegant brunch or light supper. These are bathed in a shallot-steeped crème fraîche and topped with smoked salmon for an especially rich result. Serve them with toast, croissants or crusty bread — something to mop up the last bits of yolk and cream at the bottom of the ramekins. You won’t want to leave behind a single drop.
- Total:
- Serves: 6 persons
Ingredients
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the ramekins
- ⅔cup thinly sliced shallot (2 to 3 shallots)
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾cup heavy cream
- ⅓cup crème fraîche
- 1tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
- ½teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 12large eggs, at room temperature
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4ounces smoked salmon
Instructions
Step 1
Heat oven to 400 degrees, and brush six 8-ounce ramekins or ovenproof custard cups with butter. Place the ramekins or cups on a rimmed baking sheet.Step 2
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until very soft, 7 to 10 minutes, reducing heat if necessary to prevent browning.Step 3
Stir in 6 tablespoons cream, the crème fraîche, dill, lemon zest and remaining 1/4 teaspoon. Remove from heat. Divide mixture among the ramekins.Step 4
Crack 2 eggs into each ramekin and float 1 tablespoon of cream on top of each, then sprinkle tops with salt and pepper. Bake until egg whites are just set, and yolk is still runny, 12 to 16 minutes. (The eggs will look slightly puffed at the sides of the ramekins, but still jiggly in the center and that’s O.K. The eggs will continue to cook once out of the oven.) Remove from oven and transfer ramekins onto individual plates for serving.Step 5
To serve, top each ramekin with some of the smoked salmon and a little more dill. Serve warm.