Oven-Baked Eggs in Ramekins with Creamed Spinach
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and America's Test Kitchen.
A heartier version of the classic baked eggs in ramekins: the same water-bath method, but the eggs sit in a nest of creamed spinach with shallot, nutmeg and hard cheese instead of plain cream. Baked until the yolks are fully set and served with toast.
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Method
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Equipment
- 4 ramekins (about 180 ml each)
- deep roasting tin
- kettle
- pastry brush
- instant-read thermometer
- oven gloves
- toaster
- large frying pan
- colander
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 372 kcal |
| Protein | 20.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 25.6 g |
| of which sugars | 4.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 2.3 g |
| Fat | 20.9 g |
| of which saturates | 9.7 g |
| Fibre | 3.1 g |
| Salt | 1.57 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.6 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Spinach
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 300 g baby spinach
- 4 tbsp double cream
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 20 g Parmesan-style hard cheese, finely grated
Eggs
- 8 large eggs
- 1.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¼ tsp
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
To serve
- 4 slices bread, toasted about 40 g each
- 1
Oven, kettle, ramekins. This follows the classic baked-egg method, with creamed spinach replacing the plain cream. Heat the oven to 190 °C (170 °C fan) and boil a kettle. Grease the ramekins with a little of the butter and stand them in the deep roasting tin.
- 2
Soften the shallot. Melt the remaining butter in the large frying pan over medium heat and cook the shallot for 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Cooking it first takes away its raw sharpness so it blends sweetly into the sauce.
- 3
Wilt and squeeze. Add the spinach in batches, stirring for 2-3 minutes until it has all wilted, then tip it into the colander and press out the liquid firmly. Spinach holds a surprising amount of water, and removing it keeps the filling thick so it does not flood the ramekins.
- 4
Make it creamy. Return the spinach to the pan with the cream and nutmeg and simmer for 1-2 minutes until thick. Off the heat, stir in the cheese, which melts into the cream and helps bind the spinach together.
- 5
Nest the eggs. Divide the spinach among the ramekins and press a hollow into the centre of each with a spoon. Crack 2 eggs into each hollow and season with the salt. The hollow keeps the eggs in the middle, where they bake evenly.
- 6
Bake in water. Pour hot water from the kettle into the tin to come halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 16-20 minutes, checking from 14 minutes, until the whites are firm and the yolks are fully set with no liquid yolk (71 °C in the centre of the yolk); deeper ramekins take longer.
- 7
Finish and serve. Lift the ramekins out with oven gloves onto plates, as they will be very hot. Grind over the pepper and serve with fingers of toast for dipping into the spinach.
Storage
Best eaten freshly baked. Refrigerate leftovers within 1 hour, use within 1 day and reheat until piping hot (74 °C). Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
