The Simple Egg Dish Your Great-Great-Grandparents Likely Ate For Breakfast

Johnny cakes and scrapple are just two of the old-school breakfast dishes that you don't see people eating today. Another is shirred eggs, which are individually baked eggs featuring cream, butter, and seasonings like salt and pepper. Like œufs en cocotte, one of the French egg dishes you must try at least once in your life, shirred eggs are baked in a small dish called a ramekin (although they were originally prepared in a piece of cookware called a shirrer, hence the name). However, the two recipes differ in that œufs en cocotte are baked in a ramekin that's been placed in a water bath, whereas shirred eggs are baked with dry heat.

It's not entirely clear who invented shirred eggs or when and where they originated. The dish does have a strong association with New England and appeared in the "Boston Cooking-School Cook Book" way back in 1896, but it's probable that the recipe is older than that. And if you're the type of person who likes their breakfast with a side of history, consider that this simple yet sophisticated breakfast dish was served aboard the Titanic, along with poached, fried, and boiled egg preparations.

Despite their fancy pedigree, shirred eggs are easy to make. Simply add cream to a greased ramekin before cracking an egg over it, season as desired, then place the dish in the oven for 15 minutes or so, or until the whites are firm and the yolk is still tender.

The simplicity of shirred eggs is a big part of the dish's appeal, as you can whip up this old-timey breakfast with just a few ingredients. The recipe can also be amended by adding mushrooms, goat cheese, chives, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and lots of other items.

Some people incorporate bacon, which you can use to line the inside of the ramekin, or you can chop up a smoked mackerel filet and mix it in with the other ingredients. When it comes to accompaniments, shirred eggs are often served with toast "soldiers," which are just pieces of toast cut into long, slim slices to be used for dipping into the runny egg yolks.

Like the many other recipes that can seriously upgrade a weekend brunch (such as Belgian waffles and quiche Lorraine), shirred eggs are sure to impress your guests. In this case, there are hacks you can use to make a batch of baked eggs quickly and easily. You can either use a muffin tin to make several shirred eggs at once, or you can place individual ramekins into a large casserole dish. While shirred eggs may no longer be a well-known recipe, this preparation is definitely worth bringing back to the breakfast and brunch table.