It’s odd that when I lived in France I never came across this dish, and now I live in Seattle and I suddenly discover ouefs au plat jambon-fromage, the greatest and most versatile dish ever. It’s basically some ham, thinly sliced with some soft cooked eggs, melted bubbling Gruyere, a pinch of salt and a flourish of freshly cracked pepper. It’s as simple as that and takes minutes to make. It’s divine for brunch with some fresh baguette or equally great as a supper dish on a cold evening. I like to add mustard and paprika to this recipe to give it a little more kick. It’s so simple to make, that I am in danger of making it every day. The recipe does rely on the best of ingredients, so do buy the best deli ham you can find, free range eggs, aged Gruyere and proper salt and pepper. Fleur de sel is my favorite salt for this recipe and well worth seeking out. So, if you are looking for something tasty and quick, then you really can’t go wrong with this dish.
Ingredients
- 2 slices of cooked ham, thinly sliced
- 1 heaped teaspoon of yellow mustard
- 2 eggs
- 2 thick slices of Gruyere cheese
- Fleur de sel salt and fresh cracked pepper
- Paprika – to garnish
Method
Turn the grill on and remove the bottom shelf of the oven. Arrange the ham in a small oven proof dish. Make sure the ham covers the bottom of the entire dish. Spread the mustard on top of the ham. Gently break the eggs into the dish, so they rest on the ham. Arrange the thick slices of cheese on top of the eggs. Crumble some fleur de sel salt on top of the eggs with some fresh cracked black pepper. Place the dish on the bottom the oven, or if you cannot remove the shelf place the dish on the lowest shelf of the oven. The idea of this, is to cook the eggs until they are set without overcooking the yolks. Leave to grill for about 5 minutes, and then move the dish so that it is directly under the grill. Leave to grill for about 2 minutes, until the cheese starts to color and bubble. Remove from the grill and serve straight away with a sprinkle of paprika on top. Serve with some good toasted pain de campagne, pain de mie or baguette.
