Did you just cocotte my oeuf?

Despite my concerns, my Rainbow Salad was actually very nice today. Grated carrot, chopped celery, sultanas and sunflower seeds (an afterthought). Lemon juice and a little salt balances the sweetness. Just call me Marguerite.

Oeufs Cocotting

This week it's the lettuce left in the fridge.And it's gone a bit floppy. Hm.

Les Oeufs en Cocotte- quick, simple and one of the nicest ways to eat an egg. Take a ramekin and put a small bit of proper butter in the bottom. My ramekins came from M&S. And once contained crème brûlée... Place in a saucepan and carefully pour in boiling water until it's half way up the ramekin. Try not to get water inside the ramekin, this will spoil the nice eggy, butteryness. Keep the water on a low heat. When the butter is melted, crack in an egg and put the lid on.

Oeuf Lifting

The eggs will sound like they're doing a little tap dance in the pan but don't worry. Just keep an eye on the heat and don't let the water bubble too much. All they need is about 4 minutes so I'd suggest staying by the pan and watching them set.

Careful lifting the pots out of the pan. Hot things are hot and you don't want to get water in it. I used a potato masher. You may use whichever unsuitable kitchen implement you wish.

The white should be set and the yolk, as Elizabeth David says, should be quite soft. Served with the aforementioned lettuce and courgettes (also a veg box leftover) fried with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.

Over Oeufed

Even though I am the proud owner of this book (wow) I do not usually garnish my own food. So the parsley is optional.

My oeufs were a little firmer than they should have been but they still tasted good which, in the end, is the main thing.

On a final note today. I am very lucky that my place of work provides fruit for the staff. Today I have eaten 2 apples, 1 date, 2 strawberries, 1 fig, 2 cherries, 1 lychee and a plum. Which has left me feeling a little bit like The Very Hungry Caterpillar.