Oeuf en Cocotte with Spicy Salsa

Oeuf en Cocotte is a French dish where eggs are baked in little ramekins in the oven. Traditionally they are made rich with cream, but I’ve lightened them up by cracking them onto a little bed of spiced tomato & pepper puree. Delish!

To create this recipe I teamed up with Expedia for their latest #expediaworldonaplate challenge where bloggers get challenged to create unique recipes inspired by countries and their traditional cuisines.

And what better nation to grab inspiration from in this season of love then France?!

One glance at the dangerously full egg basket on my kitchen dresser and I knew I had to make that dish that I love to eat yet have never made, oeuf en cocotte (baked eggs).

But rather than make them rich and creamy, I decided to lighten them up by making a spiced tomato and red pepper salsa to bake underneath the eggs.

Oh my, it worked a treat!

By roasting the salsa veggies first, you bump up the flavour and bring out the sweet notes of the onions, garlic and red peppers.

As you dive your spoon through the finished dish, you coat the spicy salsa in egg yolk which is a match made in heaven!

In fact, although we’re talking France this is not that dissimilar to Shakshouka. That highly fragrant dish from the Middle East where eggs are poached in a skillet of similar ingredients, just with more spices.

Serve your little Oeuf en Cocotte alongside the morning papers and a strong, hot coffee for a sumptuous weekend breakfast.

Or partner them up with a green salad and fresh baguette for a romantic supper for two (any leftover salsa puree will keep for a few days in the fridge and can be used to liven up a surprising amount of dishes).

You can find lots more internationally-inspired dishes by using the hashtag #ExpediaWorldonaPlate.

And if you are in need of the real thing, check out the hotel + flight deals on Expedia.

You could snag such a bargain that you’ll have the budget left over to hire your very own personal chef once there!

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Oeuf en Cocotte with Spicy Salsa

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

27 mins

 

Servings: 6

Author: Jane Sarchet

Ingredients

Salsa

• 1 red pepper
• 1/2 - 1 red chilli
• 300 g fresh tomatoes
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• Drizzle of oil
• 2 spring onions sliced
• 1/4 bunch fresh coriander chopped

Baked Eggs

• 6 eggs
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

Salsa

1. Pop the red pepper, chilli, tomatoes, onions & garlic in a baking tray and drizzle with the oil. Bake in a moderately hot oven until the edges of the veggies begin to char.
2. Blend together with a stick blender and add in most of the spring onions and coriander (reserve some for dressing the dish).
3. Grease 6 ramekins or teacups and half fill each one with salsa. Pop them on a baking tray lined with a tea towel or dishcloth to prevent the dishes moving and pour in hot water from the kettle so that it comes about an inch up the dishes.
4. Crack an egg into each cup, or 2 if the ramekins are large and you are hungry, sprinkle with salt & pepper and pop in the oven for 10- 12 minutes or until the egg is thoroughly baked through.
5. Scatter a little more spring onion and coriander over the tops before serving.

Huge thanks to Expedia for sponsoring this recipe and helping me continue keeping this website up & running. As always, all thoughts are my own.