Brasserie’s Eggs En Cocotte


Brasserie’s Eggs En Cocotte
brasserie's eggs en cocotte photo by carmen troesser

Ingredients

2 lbs. bacon, medium dice
2½ lbs. spinach, washed and dried
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
8 cups heavy cream, divided
16 eggs, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh chives, chopped, to garnish



Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scatter the diced bacon on a sheet pan and bake 15 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Leave the oven on.

• In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the spinach and saute until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.

• Divide the spinach and bacon evenly between 8 6-inch cast-iron skillets or place in 1 large, deep cast-iron skillet. Pour 1 cup heavy cream into each skillet (If using 1 large skillet, pour all 8 cups into the skillet.) and bring each to a simmer over medium heat.

• Once simmering, crack two eggs into each skillet and season with salt and pepper. (If cooking in a single skillet, crack all 16 eggs over the top.) Bake about 6 minutes, until the egg white is almost set. Then, switch the setting to broil. Broil for a few minutes, until lightly browned. Garnish with chives and serve.