Herbed Baked Eggs - Thank you Ina Garten!

Ina is one of my favorite cooks.  Her dishes are simple, delicious and fabulous. This recipe is no exception.  Less than 15 minutes from start to finish. These will be the best damned eggs you have ever had!

  I used fresh herbs from my herb garden - this dish is really best with the freshest ingredients you can find.  If you are lucky enough to have farm fresh eggs and organic cream - even better.  If not, store bought works perfectly fine as you can see with my ingredients.  You can change up the herbs if you like. 

If you're like me and you don't use a lot of cream, buy a small carton.  Use the leftover to add to soups or  add a bit to eggs and whisk together for rich, fluffy scrambled eggs.  Or, buy a larger carton and make your own butter :)

Ingredients

Adapted from Ina Garten's Herbed Baked Eggs recipe

• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan  - please use the good stuff - it makes all the difference!
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Good country bread for dipping in the yolks

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine the garlic, herbs and parmesan and set aside. Crack 3 eggs into each of 2 small bowls without breaking the yolks.  You will be sliding the eggs from the bowls into your baking dishes in a bit. Do not put the eggs into your baking dish yet - you will need to broil the cream and butter in it before you add your eggs.

Place 2 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle  with salt and pepper to taste.

Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked.  The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to rest for a minute or so.  Toss some lightly buttered bread in the oven while you wait for the eggs to cool a bit - they will be piping hot!

Cook a little longer if you like your yolks hard. I prefer mine runny so I can soak them up with the good bread.