From Egg Cups to Ramekins

When I moved from London to New York in 2000, I neglected to bring my egg cups. If you’re English, you’ll understand the magic of soft-boiled eggs with soldiers—those toasted strips of bread perfect for dipping. As a child it was whimsical comfort food at its best.

When I made baked eggs for the first time, I loved them so much they became a weekly staple. I realized I loved them so much because they were my New York remix of soft-boiled eggs with soldiers.

Inside those snug ramekins, bubbling Gruyère, soft yolks, and rich, savory fillings waited to be scooped up with crispy toast. It was exactly like the soft-boiled egg of my childhood—only elevated into a cheesy, melty brunch nirvana.

My baked egg journey began with a fantasy of making a soufflé, inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s charming attempt in Sabrina. Audrey epitomized sophistication. I—despite being a beer-and-whisky-drinking football lover who craved fried chicken for breakfast and always needed seconds of curry—wanted to channel her elegance and expand my culinary repertoire. But the science of egg bubbles and the precision required to whip and fold properly, scared me off. I steered toward something simpler—baked eggs, soufflé’s laid-back cousins.

I did my research and experimented with different baking tins, cheeses, and oven temperatures with underwhelming success. It wasn’t until my wife returned with eight pristine ramekins from a spree at Pearl River in Chinatown that things really clicked. When I added miniature skillets to my kitchen toolkit, the eggs became sublime.

In 2015, my mum and sister, Jen, landed in New York at the start of a long-awaited dream trip to Graceland and New Orleans. Mum has been an Elvis fan for as long as I can remember, and she was absolutely thrilled. I was excited too—Graceland had long been on my list—but it was the thought of New Orleans that had me hopping to the airport. I found myself re-watching King Creole (directed by the genius Michael Curtiz), my favourite Elvis film. It actually has a story, rare for Elvis flicks—but more than that, he’s at his absolute best: the pompadour hair, blouson jackets, chambray shirts… and the songs! The “Trouble” moment with Walter Matthau still gives me goosebumps.

When dear Elvis popped his clogs in 1977, my brother Ron crept into our parents’ bedroom and held up a copy of the Daily Mirror with the headline: Elvis Presley Dead. Mum burst into tears and played The King’s songs for the rest of the day, sobbing along with the BBC news in the background.

We all loved Elvis growing up—his films, his songs, and especially his merry Christmas albums. On Christmas morning, the sound of Elvis’ Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me would drift up the stairs. It was the only thing powerful enough to get my teenage head off the pillow. Because I knew what came next: Mum’s sublime fried garlic pork with homemade bread and pepper sauce for breakfast.

After our pilgrimage to Memphis and New Orleans—a trip full of BBQ sauce, fried chicken and baked oysters—Mum, Jen and I returned late to my Harlem apartment and crashed. In the morning, I headed out in search of eggs, cherry tomatoes, rocket, basil, Gruyere, ciabatta, and ham.

When they emerged, bleary eyed and groggy, I announced that I’d be making baked eggs for brekkie. Both looked at me as if I’d just invented fire. Mum and Jen are both excellent cooks, but there’s something uncanny and mysterious about an egg, baked in the oven, that makes people raise an eyebrow or repeat the phrase:

“Baked eggs?”

I’ve always been a fan of the breakfast classics: bacon, ham, eggs, cheese, toast, and a touch of spice. There are endless ways to combine these ingredients, but baking them together adds an indulgent, creative flair that feels downright glamorous and sophisticated—a bit like Audrey in Sabrina perhaps?

When I pulled the ramekins from the oven, the puffed-up, golden Gruyère sizzled like an edible lava dome. I paused—just for a second—to savor the anticipation of plunging a crispy slice of ciabatta into the molten cheese, cracking through the yolk, and uncovering the hidden treasures of cherry tomatoes, ham, and rocket.

**You can get 2 eggs in the baby skillet!**

When I presented the eggs to Mum and Jen, each topped with a bright basil leaf, they were wowed enough for Mum to exclaim:

“Oh rass Rog, that looks nice!”

One mouthful of the eggs with crisp ciabatta, and they were amazed—both agreed they’d never had anything like it before. It was the perfect bite before their trip back to London.

These eggs have become my cozy weekend brunch staple—especially on chilly winter mornings. Once they hit the oven, the apartment fills with the irresistible aroma of cheese baking to golden perfection. It’s like a little slice of heaven wafting through the air.

When you serve these to family or friends, you’ll instantly become the brekkie hero.

I’ve made countless variations: mushrooms, ham, spinach, avocado, pork belly. No matter what I’ve added, the result was always hot, eggy, cheesy deliciousness.

Here’s my go-to recipe, made with fresh basil, harissa and Cambozola blue cheese. I love Cambozola because it's creamy and not too overpowering, and a unique German blue that’s a mix of Camembert and Gorgonzola - hence the name.

Enjoy!

Baked Eggs with Harissa and Cambozola

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 medium eggs
4 ramekins, brushed with olive oil, set on a baking tray
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
16 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ tsp harissa (optional, but recommended)
1½ cups rocket (arugula), finely chopped
Pinch of dried red pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup chicken broth
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 tsp Cambozola blue cheese (optional)
1 cup chopped ham or cooked bacon (or mushrooms/avocado for a veggie version)
12 thin slices of ciabatta
Fresh basil for garnish

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175C
In a medium saucepan, sauté the garlic in olive oil until browned.
Add the cherry tomatoes, rocket, salt, pepper, optional blue cheese, chicken broth, nutmeg, and chili.
Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes have collapsed. Add a splash of water if needed—but don’t make it too thin. It should resemble a pasta sauce.
Divide the mixture evenly between the ramekins, filling them about two-thirds full.
Add the pre-cooked bacon or ham and a sprinkle of Gruyère to each ramekin, saving half the cheese for topping.
Make a small indent in the center of each with a teaspoon and crack in an egg.
Season the egg with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes.
At the 7-minute mark, add the ciabatta slices to the oven to crisp up.
After 15 minutes, remove everything and let the ramekins sit for 2 minutes to finish cooking. Use this time to plate up, pour tea or coffee.
Serve—and bask in your culinary genius.

Serving Suggestion: Brunch Showstopper

Arrange the ciabatta in a sunflower pattern around the ramekins—like toast petals around a cheesy, eggy center.
Swap in toasted bagels (halved) for a chewy twist.
Eat with a teaspoon and don’t forget to scrape off the crispy cheese bits off the ramekins—they’re pure gold.
Add hot sauce if you're feeling spicy.

The Secret to Success

Timing, consistency, and flavor.
You want the mixture to be rich—like pizza sauce—not watery.
A hint of spice is perfect, but don’t blow anyone’s eyebrows off.
Check the eggs by gently shaking the baking tray after 15 minutes. If they’re very wobbly, give them another minute. If they move just slightly, they’re good to go.
Remember, they’ll continue to cook for a few minutes after you take them out.

Baked Eggs

The Bard of Hexham

Rolypolys