Shrimp and Eggs en Cocotte

The Washington Post, April 18, 2007

• • Cuisine: French
• • Course: Appetizer, Breakfast
• • Features: Fast, Healthy

Summary:

A rich yet simple take on baked eggs done the way the French cook them at home. A creamy tomato sauce, saffron-infused cream or creamed sorrel are sophisticated substitutes for the plain heavy cream used here. Leftover cooked shrimp can also be used.

6 first-course or light breakfast servings

Ingredients:

• • 1 to 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• • 1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• • 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
• • 1/2 cup heavy cream
• • 16 large or 8 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• • Salt
• • Freshly ground black pepper
• • 6 large eggs
• • Lightly buttered toast points, for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil a kettle of water. Have ready a roasting pan large enough to hold six 4- or 5-ounce ramekins. Lightly coat the insides of the ramekins with the softened butter and place inside the pan.

Combine the tomato, thyme and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 3 minutes or until the mixture just begins to thicken. Add the shrimp, stir to mix well, and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide half the mixture among the ramekins.

Crack an egg into each of the ramekins and spoon the remaining shrimp mixture on top. Transfer the pan with the ramekins to the middle rack of the oven; pour in enough boiled water to come one-third of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the egg white is no longer translucent and feels firm when probed with a fork. (The yolk should still be runny.) Serve hot, with buttered toast points.

Recipe Source:

Adapted from James Peterson's "Simply Shrimp" (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2007).

183 calories, 15g fat, 7g saturated fat, 272mg cholesterol, 153mg sodium, 2g carbohydrates, n/a dietary fiber, n/a sugar, 11g protein.