Shirred Eggs
It’s ironic that while only one of us likes eggs, she’s not the one who has an apparent magic touch with making them, but yet that doesn’t seem to be an impediment to them being made in a variety of ways for breakfast. *ahem*
A classic is buttered (or “shirred”) eggs, which is a great breakfast dish (if you like that sort of thing!). The most labour-intensive (not very) part of it is to fry the bacon in advance, only to crumble it to mix with butter. I actually saved time by using pancetta, which is quicker to crisp up, and a bit classier. Anyways, one strip is enough for each egg, so gauge accordingly. Crumble in with a large dollop of softened butter, along with chopped chives, spring onion, or other such fresh herbs. Mix together and put aside.
Butter enough ramekins for the eggs, with one egg each. Crack the egg into the ramekins, and top with your bacon/butter/chive mix. Salt and pepper generously. Transfer the ramekins into a baking dish, and fill the dish with enough water to go up about 2/3 of the sides of the ramekins. Put into a 350º F oven for 15 minutes. Because of the butter, it will be virtually impossible to tell how they’re cooked, but in my experience, that’s about perfect for medium-sized eggs to have cooked whites and runny yolks. The yolks should at least be a bit cloudy on the outside. That being said, if you’re not sure, give them a gentle poke and check. Once I had to give them an extra 15 minutes due to having made the butter the night before and having refrigerated it, which I figure brought the temperature down and make it take longer. So use your judgement.
Transfer to plates and enjoy (or not!)
