Baked Eggs on a Monday Morning

I really, really wanted some eggs this morning. Frank was kind enough to run to the store to get some because we only had 3 in the house. Weird to have an odd number like that, when it is just the 2 of us. I had been noticing on some of the food blogs I check out that people were making various types of baked eggs, so I thought I would give it a try. I have 2 All-Clad small baking pans that were wedding gifts and I have never made anything in them after 2 years! This would be perfect! The dish came out really nice, rich but not heavy. Frank took some nice photos for me again. Thanks, Frank! I used a variegated sage from the garden and chives. I would like to try it with some other herbs as well.

4 extra large eggs (I wish I had the duck eggs for this!)
2 pats of butter, unsalted
4-5 fresh sage leaves; thinly sliced
1 small bunch of fresh chives; minced
1/2 cup of milk (I used 2% for this, because that’s what I had on hand)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In 2 small baking dishes, evenly divide the sage, chives, butter and milk. I had enough milk to cover the bottom of the pans.
3. Place in the oven for about 5-8 minutes, or until the liquid begins to bubble at the edges.
4. Crack 2 eggs into each pan and return to the oven.
5. Bake for about 5-8 minutes or until the eggs have set.
6. Serve, but be careful, the pans will be hot. Season with salt and pepper if desired.



Frank and I have also gone a little espresso crazy. We went and purchased a DeLonghi electric moka maker and a traditional stovetop version by Bialetti. We plan on making some at work, so I don’t keep spending money at the local coffee house. Unfortunately, they are not “true” espresso machines, as they don’t create the beautiful crema on top, but I must say the coffee tastes just as good! I just couldn’t justify the cost of a few hundred dollars (or more) for a machine. Especially, since we are saving up to redo our house. We bought some beautiful, oily, black beans from Le Pain Quotidien and some additional classic espresso cups, so I would say we are sitting pretty.

Pan-Fried Duck Eggs

We are extremely fortunate to live near an amazing family that happens to grow and sell beautiful vegetables and duck eggs!
I love trying alternate versions of things we can readily get (and take for granted) and the opportunity to have duck eggs instead of chicken eggs is a must. They are a little richer, but I was slightly disappointed in that I could taste no discernible difference from their poultry cousins. The eggs we get are sustainably raised and I swear this method makes for happier animals and thus tastier food. The shells alone are a sign of the nature of the ducks. They take repeated whacks to crack open! This caused me some concern as I was trying to deftly crack them into a hot pan without any shell bits going in.


For brunch on Sunday we had a meal of the duck eggs, fried up with rosemary and seasoned with smoked salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. On the side, we had applewood smoked bacon, and swiss chard from the garden, sauteed in some of the bacon drippings. It was heaven!