{recipe} BLT Baked Eggs

What could be a better breakfast than a perfectly textured and seasoned egg wedded with the best parts of a BLT?  Arugula, tomatoes, and crispy bacon make a bed for the egg. A tiny splash of cream before baking gives the egg a luscious, almost cheesy texture.

I had planned to serve the BLT eggs in the ramekins with a toasted English muffin, imagining people delicately scooping and sopping up bits from the bottom and sides of the dish. However, one of my guests unexpectedly wowed my by running his knife around the edge of the ramekin, placing the nook/cranny side of his English muffin on top of the ramekin, and flipping it out on top like a mini souffle! This small but ingenious gesture makes this already somewhat impressive breakfast dish cuter, more interactive, and yes, more delicious. Because things that come out in a molded shape upside down totally taste better than normal things. Trust me on this one!

The bacon/vegetable part of this recipe could be prepared ahead, placed in the ramekins, and left overnight in the fridge. In the morning you would just have to preheat the oven and add the eggs and cream to each ramekin before baking. Because they cook in the oven, it’s a terrific choice for a larger group. Don’t worry if you don’t own ramekins–any small oven-proof vessel, like a ceramic coffee cup or pyrex prep bowl, will do just fine.

BLT Baked Eggs
makes 6

Ingredients:

• 9-10 slices bacon
• 5-6 cups baby arugula leaves
• 3/4 cup tomatoes, chopped, or cherry tomatoes cut in half
• leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme
• 6 eggs
• 3 Tblsp heavy cream, divided
• coarse sea salt or fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper
• toasted English muffins to serve

Method:

• Cook bacon in a large saute pan until crispy. Move to paper towels. Pour bacon grease into a bowl and reserve it.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat bacon pan over medium heat. Add arugula leaves, tomatoes, thyme, and a few grinds of pepper to the pan. Cook, flipping with tongs, until arugula is just wilted. Put vegetables into a strainer over a bowl to release some of the liquid.
• Brush 6 ramekins with bacon grease all over bottom and sides. Put the ramekins onto a sheet pan or 9×13 pan.
• Evenly distribute arugula mixture into the bottom of the ramekins. Crumble about 1 1/2 pieces of bacon into each ramekin on top of the arugula.
• Gently crack an egg into each ramekin, trying not to break the yolk. (Full disclosure: I broke 1 out of 6.) Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of cream over each egg. Sprinkle with a few grains of coarse salt.
• Bake the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, about 15-18 minutes.
• Serve each with an English muffin and show your guests how to suavely unmold them at the table.