Eggs en cocotte

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Generously coat the inside of the ramekins with butter. Sprinkle salt flakes and pepper evenly into the ramekins. Rinse the watercress and place it in a saucepan without water.

Cook briefly over a medium heat until the leaves collapse but are still bright green. Then blend the leaves to a purée and divide between the ramekins.

Sprinkle half of the grated cheese over the purée and break an egg into each ramekin.

Now pour cream on top. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the cream. Stand the ramekins in an oven-proof dish and add enough boiling water to come half-way up their sides.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes for soft eggs, or 18 minutes if you prefer them set.

Cook’s tip:  Watercress seed is freely available and the plant is easily grown in shallow, running water. Plant your own around a water feature or a small pond in your garden and harvest as required. There’s a health bonus in it too – watercress is packed with vitamin C and iron.
Mariana Esterhuizen is the owner/chef of Mariana's

Home Deli and Bistro in Stanford. You can call her on

(028) 341-0272.