When I planned my weekly menu for this week, I decided I would do an easy dinner one night and have breakfast for dinner. Eggs, pancakes and bacon - it would be a simple meal and I wouldn't have to worry about recipes or tons of ingredients. Well when I planned this meal I had no idea how drastically my week would change. I found out some very exciting work news yesterday. News I had been waiting for a very long time for that was an extremely big deal. The announcement was in our favor and very thrilling. Naturally I celebrated the news with everyone else at work that it affected during happy hour yesterday. But tonight was my night to celebrate with Forrest and eggs and bacon just didn't seem like celebration food. I didn't feel like making a trip to the grocery to purchase what I would consider celebration food (steak or seafood) so I found a recipe to spruce up my original breakfast for dinner plans.
BAKED EGGS AND MUSHROOMS IN HAM CRISPS
Gourmet Magazine February 2002
3/4 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
12 slices Black Forest or Virginia ham (without holes; 10 oz)
12 large eggs
Garnish: fresh thyme leaves
Accompaniment: buttered brioche or toast
Special equipment: a muffin tin with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Prepare mushrooms:
Cook mushrooms and shallot in butter with salt and pepper in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and liquid they give off is evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and thyme.
Assemble and bake:
Fit 1 slice of ham into each of 12 lightly oiled muffin cups (ends will stick up and hang over edges of cups).
Divide mushrooms among cups
and crack 1 egg into each. Bake in middle of oven until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, about 15 minutes.
Season eggs with salt and pepper and remove (with ham) from muffin cups carefully, using 2 spoons or small spatulas.
