Oeufs Cocotte with Truffle Cream and Morels
A Truffle a Day — Day 19
The first time I tasted oeuf cocotte was in Normandy, in a tiny inconspicuous restaurant in an insignificant town. It was brought out before the main dish, a palate teaser, and the unbelievable richness and velvetiness of the cream and egg cooked in a way I had never experienced before is burned as indelibly on my memory as the first time I consciously tasted truffles.
This is a go-to recipe for appetizers, breakfasts, or for that immediate warm satisfaction when you are alone and hungry and want something delicious, but only have a moment to leave the task at hand.
Ingredients:
1–2 eggs per person, stored overnight with truffles
Butter for ramekins and for morel pan
1 teaspoon heavy cream per egg
Salt and pepper, to taste
Several morels
1 ounce truffle
Preparation:
Using a brush, clean the morels (don’t wash), slice in rondelles, and sauté lightly in butter. Butter ramekins and crack one egg (previously stored with the truffle you are about to grate) into the bottom of each. Spoon cream over each egg, add salt, pepper, and a grating of truffles and top with a few morel slivers per ramekin. Place in an oven at 400°F for 8 minutes, depending on the size of the egg. Garnish just before serving with chervil or a fresh truffle sliver if you should happen to have extra.
Note: This recipe can be prepared with only morels or only truffles or, if you have neither, with any other kind of mushroom, finely sliced and sautéed in butter before adding to ramekins. It can also be prepared without any mushrooms at all, highlighting the freshest of eggs topped with the richness of the heavy cream.
A Truffle a Day is a series of one-a-day truffle recipes, excerpted from the soon-to-be-released Cooking with Truffles: A Chef’s Guide. All recipes can be prepared with or without truffles, depending on the voluptuousness of your pantry.
