Oeuf Cocotte
Out of the 50 chapters in The France Dance, Chapter 25: Dîner avec Marion is one of my favorites for several reasons. Not only does this chapter mark the midpoint of the book, but is also the turning point in Noëlle’s journey. With the severity of her circumstances reaching a boiling point, she decides to confide in Marion whose maternal instincts lead them to making a meal together.
The France Dance does not contain characters that are based on myself, however, in this particular scene, Marion’s reaction to Noëlle’s plight was definitely based on my own personality. There is nothing a home-cooked meal can’t brighten. Flavors, ingredients, and a well-appointed kitchen are always the keys to healing in my home.
exerpt from Chapter 25:
The timer on the oven dinged and Marion moved to open the door with a white oven towel. The smell of cheese and mustard wafted into the kitchen, filling Noëlle’s olfactory senses with divinity. The fragrance of the humble ingredients mixed inside the twin dishes was grounding and somehow reminded Noëlle of Sadie and of Aunt Simi. Like the gift of flavor these ingredints gave and the beautiful simplicity of oeuf cocotte, Sadie was an unexpected gift in Noëlle’s childhood while Aunt Simi was the gift that Noëlle needed now.
Minutes later, they were seated in the courtyard with sourdough toast layered with both butter and tomato jam, which rested on small plates nearby.
Unsure of how to proceed, Noëlle watched as Marion used a fork to spread the eggs onto a rectangle of jammy toast, bright-orange yolk oozing deliciously from the crust.
“Bon Appetite!” Marion said before taking a bite.
Noëlle imitated Marion’s ceremony and took a bite. Relishing the stacks of flavor, so simple yet so robust, Noëlle closed her eyes as spicy mustard filled her nose. Sweet tomato and herbs coated her palate before tasting the salty bite of parmesan cheese. The creator of oeuf cocotte was a culinary genius.
The recipe
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 TBSP heavy whipping cream
2TSP whole grain mustard
Comte cheese
Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground salt and pepper
Sourdough toast
Tomato jam
Butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375º
Coat inside of mini cocotte with butter or olive oil
Crack eggs in cocotte
‘Drizzle” whipping cream over the top
“Dabble” musatd over the top
Grate cheeses over the top and gently stir without breaking yokes
Cover coctte with lid and sit in a bain-marie to bake. *Make sure water is hot
Bake for 18-20 minutes
Serve with buttered sourdough toast and tomato jam
What is a mini cocotte?
A mini cocotte is a small dutch oven. It’s an enameled cast iron casserole dish with a lid that has a handle on each side since they can be quite heavy.
What is a bain-marie?
A bain-marie is a cooking technique that involves using a hot water bath to gently heat or cook delicate foods. The setup typicaly consists of a large pan filled with hot water, into which a smaller container holding the food is placed.
If you’re wanting to try this recipe and need either cocottes or a bain-marie, you can shop them on my LTK. My favorite brand is Le Creuset.
