Oven-baked eggs oozing their liquid sunshine and swimming in a sea of smoked tasso-infused cream is a thing of beauty and taste. I’ve made this easy breakfast dish for years, and it still astounds me how flavorful and straightforward this Baked Eggs in Tasso Cream recipe is.
Savoie’s smoked tasso with a kick of Cajun spice is the key to this Baked Eggs in Tasso Cream recipe. (All photos credit: George Graham)
In my travels across France, I recall dining on traditional oeufs en cocotte (eggs cooked in shallow ramekins) and how the velvet cloak of cream works so beautifully in bathing the yolks. Baking eggs in reduced cream is classic French, and with the addition of fresh basil from my herb garden, a sprinkle or two of Cajun spice along with chopped smoked tasso, it is French Louisiana as well.
Tasso adds smoky Cajun flavor to these familiar ingredients.
Tasso (TAH so) is a dried and smoked piece of pork used much like ham in cooking. It’s spiced with cayenne pepper and garlic, and while fully cooked, it is usually used only as an ingredient in another Cajun recipe.
Savoie’s from St. Landry Parish is one of the largest sausage processors around, and their tasso is Certified Cajun; I always keep a package in my freezer. Ms. Eula Savoie started this Cajun food company over 60 years ago from a little corner grocery in Opelousas, Louisiana. It has grown to be one of the premier Cajun food companies, and you would be hard-pressed not to find their products in almost every Cajun kitchen. Cajun cooks connect with the quality, history, and cultural significance of this respected brand.
Savoie’s tasso is a Cajun favorite. (Photo credit: Internet archive)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped tasso, such as Savoie's
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, stemmed
- 8 large eggs
- ½ cup diced green onion tops
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 sprigs of basil, for garnish
- Toasted French bread slices, for serving
- Preheat your oven to 350°F on the upper rack.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter, onion, and tasso. Sauté until the onion turns translucent and the tasso begins to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cream, and continue stirring as the cream simmers and begins to reduce. Add the basil. Large bubbles will appear in the cream as the moisture releases, and it thickens. Once it reduces to a sauce consistency and the basil leaves are wilted, lower the heat to a simmer.
- Add the Cajun seasoning, stir, and remove from the heat.
- Gently (being careful not to break the yolks) add 2 eggs into each of four shallow ovenproof baking dishes (or ramekins). Divide the sauce evenly among the dishes. Place the baking dishes on a foil-lined metal tray and bake on the upper rack of the hot oven. Watch carefully (you may need to rotate the tray) and bake only until the whites set with a still sunny-side-up runny yolk, about 10 minutes.
- Season with a pinch of kosher salt and a half-grind of black pepper. Top with a sprinkle of diced green onion tops. Garnish with a sprig of basil, and serve with toasted French bread slices.
These Baked Eggs in Tasso Cream are an elegant centerpiece for a weekend brunch and with a slice of buttered and toasted French bread for sopping up the yolk, it is filling as well.
Velvety cream encases the yolks for a rich breakfast dish of Baked Eggs in Tasso Cream.
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Do they serve this only in heaven or can you make this on earth? What a presentation! Good one George! I have to try this one! Was thinking of even using grits with cream but that’s another day! Ha ha! Sounds like “I got peanut butter on your chocolate” moment!
Hey Gary – Great to hear from you. I like your thinking: creamy, tasso-infused grits; what a great idea! Give it a try and let us know how it turns out. Thanks for the comment.
yum
Hi George, This sounds wonderful! I’m going to give it a try in the morning. Take care.
Hey Cheryl – Thanks for the great comment, and I know you’re gonna have a beautiful sunny morning. All the best.
George, great looking recipe.
Please help me with instruction # 4 —– do the eggs go on the bottom or the top?
Gene
Hey Gene – Excellent question, and thanks to you I have clarified to read, “Gently (being careful not to break the yolks) add 2 eggs into each of four shallow ovenproof baking dishes (or ramekins). Divide the sauce evenly among the dishes.”
All the best.
I am so enjoying Acadiana Table! I am a retired Home Economics teacher and my passion has always been cooking and entertaining with Cajun foods. You have put so much into this book!!! Please keep up this work.
Looking forward to all of the new things you come up with. Jean Cobb
Jean- Thank you for the kind words. And thank you for your years of service in teaching the next generation. All the best.
Hi, George. I found some 4.7 inch in diameter, 0.8 inch deep ramekins. Is that big enough for the two eggs or should I look for a larger size? Thank you.
Edgar- Give it a try; that should work. All the best.
If I divide by 4, will the recipe work for one person? Sometimes a recipe for fewer servings doesn’t work as well.
Hey Pamela – The short answer is “no”; dividing by four is not the way to go. Instead, start with less ingredients for a single portion and experiment with different spice levels and other ingredients until you achieve the taste you are looking for.
We made this today for a breakfast for ten house guests, it was amazing. Nothing short of 10 stars. We changed it a bit by using a broiler pan heated in a 475 degree oven for 15 minutes, remove the pan from oven, spray or wipe with olive oil and add ten, room temperature eggs to the pan. the eggs have been pre cracked into individual paper cupcake papers. the eggs do not run on the hot pan. Add the tasso cream sauce to the pan around each egg and return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes, or until whites don’t jiggle. Then serve, plain or over boudin cakes, hashbrowns, or cheese grit cakes. BEST RECIPE EVER!
Karin- Wow! I love your technique for cooking this dish for a crowd. So glad your guests enjoyed it. All the best.
What size ramekins?
Erin- In the photo, I am using a shallow 5-inch ramekin/dish, but you can do this in any small individual oven-proof dish. Also, you could do this in a glass baking dish with a half-dozen eggs for a center-of-the-table presentation. Just experiment and have fun. All the best.