Gourmet Magazine
November 2002
serves 6
This simple recipe is great. I’m not a big fan of tarragon, so I substitute thyme. You can easily get everything ready the night before by cooking the mushroom mixture, putting the ham slices in the muffin tins and adding the mushroom mixture. Refrigerate until the morning, crack the eggs into each cup and bake.
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb. mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
- 12 slices Black Forest or Virginia ham (without holes; 10 oz)
- 12 large eggs
- Garnish: fresh tarragon leaves
- Accompaniment: buttered brioche or challah toast
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Prepare mushrooms: Cook mushrooms and shallot in butter with salt and pepper in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and liquid they give off is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in crème fraîche and tarragon.
Assemble and bake: Fit 1 slice of ham into each of 12 lightly oiled muffin cups (ends will stick up and hang over edges of cups). Divide mushrooms among cups and crack 1 egg into each. (can be made to this point ahead and refrigerated)
Bake in middle of oven until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, about 15 minutes. Season eggs with salt and pepper and remove (with ham) from muffin cups carefully, using 2 spoons or small spatulas.