Ann Quatrano's Shirred Farm Eggs in Ramekins
August 06, 2006
I was so sad that the NY Times decided to place their review of Ann Quatrano's restaurant outside of Atlanta into the Times Select edition on-line requiring purchase. Lucky for me, however, I downloaded the recipe for her classic eggs in cream while it was still free and I give it to you--my dear and loyal reader--free again.
This recipe is served best with a side of roasted heirloom tomatoes. Alas, there were no heirloom tomatoes in the grocery store today, so I made do with vine ripened tomatoes instead.
For the Roasted Tomatoes:
- 3 sprigs of rosemary, picked and minced
- 4 vine ripened tomatoes, halved
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 c olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
For the tomatoes: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the tomatoes, rosemary, and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until tomatoes are wrinkled and collapsing.
For the Shirred Eggs:
- 1/2 c heavy cream
- 8 large farm fresh eggs
- 3 tbsp of finely minced herbs (Italian parsley, rosemary, tarragon, chervil, use your imagination here)
- 4 ramekins
Step One: Boil a small pot of hot water (about 4 cups). Keep hot.
Step Two: In a separate small sauce pan, combine cream with salt and pepper over medium heat until just steaming.
Step Three: Place 1 tbsp of cream in each of 4 ramekins (small porcelien baking bowls that hold about 1 cup). Crack 2 eggs in each ramekin, keeping yolks intact. Top with 1 tbsp of cream and sprink herbs over each. Repeat until all 4 ramekins are filled.
Step Four: Place the ramekins in a small roasting pan (or cake pan), and gently pour that boiling water into the roasting pan (not in your ramekins, silly!) so that the water comes halfway up the sides of ramekins. Bake at 350 degrees until eggs are just set, about 20-30 minutes.
To serve: Place ramekins on a plate with 2 halves of the roasted tomatoes and a side of bread. The taste of these eggs is fantastic, as long as you don't overcook them like I did!
