Laura the Gastronaut > Julia Child > Eggs > Eggs Baked in Ramekins

Oeufs en Cocotte

March 14, 2020 | Updated January 23, 2023 | Laura

*This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please see full disclosure policy for details.
*The views expressed on this blog are my own.

Julia Child's Oeufs en Cocotte

✽ Recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I | Julia Child ✽

Julia Child Recipe 83 | 445 recipes to go!

✽ Oeufs en Cocotte [Eggs Baked in Ramekins], p. 123

__________________________________

✽ Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I was written by Julia Child who co-authored with Simone Beck & Louisette Bertholle and was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1961.

✽ You can buy Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I which contains these recipes here. (affiliate link)

The purpose of this Julia Child section of my blog is to document my journey of learning how to cook. To show my successes, my failures, and what I learned along the way.

Since I didn't create these recipes (if only!), I do not post exact amounts of ingredients or word-for-word instructions. If any of these recipes spark your interest, I highly recommend you buy Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (affiliate link). It's a great investment and learning tool and contains hundreds of classic recipes.

I hope that you enjoy reading my thoughts, learn something new, and leave inspired to try a new recipe. Bon appétit!

__________________________________

Butter Count & Cost: Eggs Baked in Ramekins

✽ Butter Count: +0.5 TB

✽ Cost: $0.34

Check out the total Julia Child butter count & cost here!

→ Looking for a different Julia Child recipe? Here's a list of all of the completed and pending Mastering the Art of French Cooking recipes!

Simple, but delicious.

Here is another very simple egg recipe that is perfect for both weekend brunches and weekday breakfasts.

These are individual servings of eggs that are baked in ramekins (hence the name). I loved how quickly I could make these eggs, and that they are a little extra something than just my normal eggs I usually make in the mornings. The added butter and cream turn these eggs into something special. I recommend serving with toast so you can scoop up all that goodness!

Oeufs en Cocotte Recipe: Questions

✽ Why do you set the ramekin in a pan of boiling water?

If the ramekins are not baked in a pan with simmering water, the outside layer of the egg will cook faster than the inside layer of the egg in the 375 degree oven. This wil leave you with a really tough outside layer and an underdone inside layer.

✽ What can you add to these baked eggs?

The list of ingredients you can add to oeufs en cocotte is endless. You can add fresh herbs into the cream. The bottom of the ramekins can be filled with fun ingredients as well along with the cream. Good additions include cooked mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, artichokes, lobster, shrimp, crab, and truffles.

You can also switch the cream out with a brown sauce, white sauce, or tomato sauce.

Though not listed as a suggestion by Julia, I personally think cheese is really tasty mixed into the cream. I especially think grated gruyere is a great choice.

✽ What's the difference between oeufs en cocotte and shirred eggs?

I often see 'oeufs en cocotte' and 'shirred eggs' used interchangeably. However, there are some small differences between the two recipes.

The first difference is that oeufs en cocotte are baked in a 375 degree oven while shirred eggs are cooked quickly under the broiler. Shirred eggs should not be cooked in the oven because they would end up being really tough.

Second, oefus in cocotte are baked in a pan with simmering water while shirred eggs are not.

Lastly, Julia's recipe for shirred eggs does not call for cream, just butter. Oeufs in cocotte have both cream and butter.

Looking for more Julia Child egg recipes to read about?

→ Check out all of the egg recipes that I've completed so far!

Fun Egg Facts

*Find these facts plus lots more on Val-co.*

✽ How many eggs does a chicken lay?

On average, a chicken will lay abou 300-325 eggs every year.

✽ Which states produces the most eggs in America?

Iowa produces the most eggs every year at 14.8 billion eggs! Ohio is in second place at 7.9 billion eggs every year.

✽ Why are brown eggs more expensive?

The only reason brown eggs cost more is because the hens that lay them tend to be bigger requiring more food. They are more expensive to keep so their eggs are generally more expensive as well.

✽ How many eggs do people eat each year?

The average American eats about 285 eggs every year.

How to Make Oeufs en Cocotte

✽ Step 1: Heat Ingredients

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. A small amount of butter is used to butter the ramekin. Add some whipping cream to the bottom of the ramekin and set over simmering water.

Eggs Baked in Ramekins Julia Child

Once the cream is hot, you can add the egg, pour a little more cream over the egg, and dot with butter.

It’s important not to skip adding the ramekin to the simmering water step. The extreme heat of the oven will toughen the outside of the egg before the inside has fully cooked (per Julia). Nobody wants that!

Mastering the Art of French Cooking Oeufs en Cocotte

✽ Step 2: Bake Egg

Place the ramekin (that's still in the pan with the boiling water) in the oven and bake for about 7 to 10 minutes. Julia says, “The eggs are done when they are just set but still tremble slightly in the ramekins.” Do not overcook.

The eggs will continue to cook for a short time when removed from the oven. Lastly, season with a little salt and pepper.

Julia Child Eggs Baked in Ramekins

And now you have a perfectly cooked egg with a set white and a runny yolk. What all dreams are made of. I served the eggs with toast which was great for scooping up all that delicious egg.

*This blog, Laura The Gastronaut, and this post were/are not endorsed or supported by Julia Child or The Julia Child Foundation.

pinterest button

Category: Julia Child, Eggs Cuisine: French
Keywords: oeufs en cocotte recipe, julia child recipes, baked eggs recipe, french eggs recipe, mastering the art of french cooking recipes

✽ Did you make this recipe too?
→ Let me know by leaving a comment below and sharing on Instagram. Tag @laurathegastronaut and hashtag it #laurathegastronaut.

  • tiktok laurathegastronaut
  • instagram laurathegastronaut
  • pinterest Laura the Gastronaut
  • youtube Laura the Gastronaut
  • facebook Laura the Gastronaut
  • twitter Laura the Gastronaut

More Egg Recipes:

Shirred Eggs (another simple egg recipe great for a quick breakfast)
Scrambled Eggs (the creamiest French scrambled eggs)
Scrambled Omelette (you can't go wrong with an omelette)
→ Check out all of the completed Julia Child egg recipes!

✽ You can find this recipe and all the other Julia Child recipes I make in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I (affiliate link).
→ Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I was written by Julia Child who co-authored with Simone Beck & Louisette Bertholle and was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1961.

✽ Check out my Julia Child Recipe Checklist to see a list of all my completed and pending recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking!

Bon appétit!

March 14, 2020 by Laura Ehlers

*This Oeufs en Cocotte blog post may contain some Amazon affiliate links. These link to products that I personally use and recommend. If you purchase anything using my links, it will not cost you anything. It will though give laurathegastronaut.com some financial support which helps me keep this blog running. Thank you for reading my blogs and your continued support.