Shirred eggs

I've been a poached egg man pretty much all of my life. I like them served on toast, just like mom used to make for me. I enjoy a good scramble, and the occasional omelette, but the majority of the breakfast eggs I eat are poached.

I have a very nice poacher, but I generally poach my eggs at home by simply cracking the eggs into a pan of boiling water. Many people are surprised that this is an effective method, that the eggs don't simple dilute into the water (some of it does), but I think this makes the best poached egg. Let them roll around in there for a few minutes and then fish them out with a slotted spoon. Timed right, the result is a perfectly solid - but tender - egg white wrapped around a perfectly liquid yolk.

Anyway, during a recent visit from Judy and Tony, they introduced me to a new way to cook eggs, which they thought would be appealing to a poached egg fan. And they were right. They're called shirred eggs, and you basically bake them in a small dish, well buttered, at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Here's the result of my first attempt:



These eggs were very good, I have to say, and much closer in texture and tenderness to poached eggs than fried eggs. But I think they'll be even better when I try some of the variations suggested by our cookbook, such as sprinkling the pan with spinach and sprinkling the eggs with parmesian cheese. Or lining the pan with ham or breadcrumbs. Or dousing the whole thing in heavy cream.

Of course, what recipe isn't improved by a good dousing of heavy cream?