Brunch Rehearsal: Oeufs Cocotte w/Garlic Bread, Blueberry Baked French Toast w/Lemon Basil Creme Anglaise

My past few posts seem to have been sort of...complain-y, so here is something nice and not so complain-y, more feel good-y.

My sister is getting married this August, and I--for reasons unknown to myself--have agreed to 'cater' a post-wedding brunch to be served the following day, when most likely I and everyone else in attendance will be nursing hangovers of varying degrees. I guess a big reason is because she's my sister, and it seemed like a nice gesture, but really the bigger reason is that I am perpetually broke, and will probably be getting her something worse and cheaper than a toaster as a wedding gift, so this is a compensational catering, of sorts.
To add a fun Top Chef-esque twist, I will be preparing this brunch (for roughly 30 people) in a foreign kitchen, in a rented mountain house in Utah, which I have never before seen and will not see until the evening before the wedding.
So! Here we go.

I came up with a menu comprised of dishes that can be made beforehand, and then reheated before serving, as well as ones that can be prepared and served family style--AKA Casserole Brunch Bonanza! I invited K over to be my tasting guinea pig for my first run of the two main casseroles, which will be:

Oeufs Cocotte w/Garlic Bread, Ricotta, Grape Tomatoes, and Basil

[Do not click to enlarge]

For the wedding, though, it will be made family style, i.e. A Giant Egg Casserole.

It was a test, actually, to see if I could pull off cooking the eggs without a water bath, and having the whites set while the yolks are still runny. It took a couple times of throwing them back in the oven, but was an eventual success!

And on the sweet side,

Blueberry Baked French Toast w/Lemon Basil Creme Anglaise

[Not Pictured]

It was pretty tasty, but let's just say that I definitely need to work on its aesthetic appeal.

The oeufs cocotte (I don't know if you can properly call them that) turned out to be incredibly delicious, and stupid easy--always a winning combination. If you ever want to impress a couple of friends by making brunch, get yourself a good, crusty baguette, use 1/4 for the recipe, and serve the rest alongside. Champagne is optional. (Just kidding, it's not. Unless opting for beer, or an appropriate wine or cocktail. Brunch without booze is just a fatty meal at an awkward time of day. You needs the champagne.)

Lazy Oeufs Cocotte (Baked Eggs):

4 small ramekins - sprayed with nonstick spray

4 large eggs

1 cup fresh ricotta

5-6 grape tomatoes

Extra virgin olive oil

Maldon salt (or kosher salt)

Fresh black pepper

1 sprig (4 or 5 leaves) fresh basil

Pecorino (or parmesan, or any tasty, salty cheese)

Small piece of crusty bread (can be day old), enough to amount to about 1 cup cubed

1 garlic clove

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut garlic in half and rub all over your bread. Cut bread into cubes, toss in a generous drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toast on a sheet pan until edges start to brown. Set aside. (Garlic bread cubes can be made up to a day in advance.)

Spray ramekins.

Plop in 2 or 3 small spoonfuls of ricotta into each ramekin. Sprinkle with small pinch of salt, and few turns of pepper.

Add garlic bread cubes.

Crack 1 egg into each.

Slice tomatoes in half and place into ramekin in aesthetically pleasing position. Sprinkle more salt and pepper. Top with a generous pinch of pecorino (or cheese of your choice) and small drizzle of olive oil.

Bake in oven until whites have mostly set, but yolk still jiggles (this is where it got tricky, and I don't actually have an accurate time...15-20 minutes? Sorry.)

When ready, remove from oven and let cool a bit on rack. Chiffonade basil, sprinkle small amount on each. Finish with Maldon (and more cheese if you like). Enjoy!

[For bigger ramekins, pretty much just double everything.]

The french toast is still a work in progress, and so I won't be posting a recipe for now. Hopefully if all goes well, I'll have one later. I can say that the lemon basil creme anglaise I made was quite delicious, and could easily complement a number of dishes. For now, perhaps someone can fiddle with that:

Lemon Basil Creme Anglaise:

1 bunch fresh basil

Zest of 1 lemon

500 ml (17 oz) milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped, or vanilla extract (optional)

5 egg yolks

100 g (3 1/2 oz) sugar

Put milk, basil, lemon zest, and vanilla in a pot, bring to a boil. Remove from heat, strain and let cool about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, separate the eggs, whisk the yolks and sugar together until it turns pale yellow.

Add hot milk to eggs slowly, while whisking to temper.

Return mixture to pot, cook over medium heat stirring constantly (zig-zag formation is beset, scraping the bottom and corners) with a rubber or wooden spatula, until it thickens slightly.* (Keep stirring, and be wary of curdling! Don't let it get too hot, or you'll cook your eggs--take the pot off the heat once in a while if it seems like it's getting too hot.)

Strain through a fine chinois into a bowl set over ice and stir until it stops steaming.

Use for whatever you like!

*If using for baked french toast, you don't need to cook it all the way (to nappant), because it will be cooked again, anyway. If you want to use it as a sauce, cook until nappant (coats the back of a spoon, or rubber spatula)--if you have an instant read thermometer, about 175 degrees F. Do not let it reach 180, or your eggs will curdle!

This post has been brought to you by M's dear mother, who very sweetly--and inexplicably--brought us three 18-pc cartons of eggs (that is 54 eggs, for 2 people who are not prone to eating at home, nor having guests over) that she brought back from Amish country. So far I have made the things above, as well as cupcakes, popovers, soft-boiled eggs, blueberry bread, strawberry bread, and most recently flan, and still have quite a good number of eggs at my disposal. Maybe tomorrow I will make some handmade pasta. (Not likely.)

Up next: More photogenic post, in the form of cupcakes! Soon.