Nests of Eggs...or Nids d'oeufs

French Egg Nests...with Gruyere Cheese I love, love eggs....and I really don't take it for granted that I'm not allergic to them. I am very, very thankful. Fresh eggs are most always in the fridge...
During the week we usually have a light breakfast. But when Saturday morning rolls around....well, things change a bit:). That's when we look forward to having eggs... sunny-side up eggs, scrambled, poached, etc. Lately we've been enjoying some duck and goose eggs as well...which has been really nice. Actually, I've come to love duck eggs most...it's become my favorite.
I like to vary the way I cook the eggs, so I am always looking for new and inventive ways to prepare them. When I saw this recipe on Elise's blog, I thought it was such a neat idea! I've done egg nests before... usually in a muffin tin with ham and cheese...or hash browns as a base. But these egg nests used the white of the egg as its own "nest"... and I just loved the idea. I loved the idea not only because it was rather unique, but because I could file this recipe for future use... for those days when I have guests that are on a gluten-free/ low carb diet. A great recipe to have on hand.  

In any case, I quickly made this dish the same day I saw it....and the following day:). The first time I made it, I basically stuck to the original recipe... and used a tad bit more cheese. The next time I made it, I folded in some chopped chives in the beaten egg whites along with the cheese. I then formed the egg nests and placed some extra cheese in the middle of the nest. The extra cheese melted nicely and made the yolk seem even creamier. I am sure you can use other types of cheese to make this dish.... You can also get creative by folding in various other ingredients in the beaten egg whites... but it's best not to overdo any additions, as a little goes a long way. You can also add various herbs...or even some chopped ham/bacon.

So I thought to pass this recipe along... as we quite enjoyed it. The egg seems to double in quantity when you cook it this way... you can have 1 egg instead of 2, and still feel like you've eaten 2:). While it's fun eating the egg just the way it's presented in this post, you can also get creative by  using it on top of quite a few dishes...from tomato-based dishes to braised vegetables, or simply over some hash browns/polenta/grits etc.

Originally from a French children's cookbook, the recipe is quite simple to prepare and I think a great way to vary the Saturday morning breakfasts. Perfect for large groups, as you can make quite a few at a time....and then just bring it to the table. We simply loved this dish. A fun twist to the classic sunny-side-up eggs. Hope you enjoy...

Tip: It is important that you gently fold the cheese into the stiff egg whites.  

You will need: adapted from Simply Recipes

2 ex-large eggs

1/3-1/2 cup lightly packed grated Gruyere cheese*

pinch of salt

chives, optional

* I used the larger grater to grate the cheese, so when I placed it in a measuring cup it was 1/2 cup...I weighed it and it was about 1 ounce. The original recipe uses 1/4 cup of cheese, I felt it needed a bit more:)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 450 deg. F

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Set aside.

2. Break and separate eggs.

3. Place the egg whites and salt in a mixer bowl.

4. Whip egg whites till stiff peaks form.

5. Fold in Gruyere cheese, being careful not to deflate whites.

6. Divide the egg whites into 2 mounds and place on parchment paper.

7. Shape the mounds to look like nests.

8. Using the back of the spoon make an indentation in the middle of the nest. You can add extra cheese in the middle if you like, or even a few extra "strands" of grated cheese all over.

9. Place baking sheet in a preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 3 minutes.

10. Remove pan and gently place the egg yolk in the middle of the nest. Bake for an additional 3 minutes. Top with chives if desired.