Baked Eggs with Mushrooms & Herbs

Baked eggs are one of my absolute favorite breakfast dishes and I have been making many versions for many years. This version here is the one I make most often. It is savory and satisfying, but it's also nice to know that I can make this quickly and at the last minute since I always have these ingredients in my kitchen. The combinations are endless. You can use chopped fresh spinach or kale instead of herbs, or add sausage or bacon or anything else you'd like! Either way, this dish is simple and classic.

I'm not a big egg yolk person, and apparently this is considered blasphemy in my profession, but my guests almost always want theirs. If you're making several ramekins, just remember that they should all contain about the same amount of egg in order to cook evenly. This means that if you are removing an egg yolk from one ramekin, you'll need to add an extra white to make up the difference in volume. My recipe calls for two whole eggs per person, but tailor this to your preferences.

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 tbsp unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, finely diced
2 cups mushrooms, finely diced (I use shiitake and cremini)
1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish
2 tbsp fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4-1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or fresh goat cheese
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and mushrooms. Sauté until richly golden brown. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat. 

2. Add the dill, basil, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pan. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. This mushroom mixture can be made ahead and will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

3. Preheat your oven's broiler and place an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat.

4. Crack each serving of eggs into small bowls (if you are using 4 ramekins, each with 2 eggs, crack 2 eggs each into 4 small bowls) - this makes it easier to pour the eggs into hot ramekins and also avoids broken yolks, egg shell pieces, etc. 

5. Place four small cast-iron pans, gratin dishes, or ramekins on a sheet tray and place 1 tbsp. of butter or olive oil into each ramekin. Put the ramekins in the oven for at least one minute or until the butter has melted completely. 

6. Remove the hot ramekins from the oven and pour each serving of eggs into each ramekin. Place a spoonful of the mushroom mixture over the top  and add a few big shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano or some crumbles of fresh goat cheese. 

7. Put the ramekins back under the broiler. Cooking time will depend on the size/depth of your dish and how many eggs you've used. If your dish is wide and shallow, it could take just 3 minutes. A deeper dish may take 5-7 minutes. Keep your eye on it because it's super quick!

8. Garnish with additional fresh dill and serve hot.