Sunshine Baked Eggs

In recent years, eggs have graduated in a big way from being merely a breakfast food. Eggs of all types now appear on dinner menus everywhere, including Sunshine Tavern in Portland, OR. Chef/owner Jenn Louis has always been a huge fan of eggs, but during a trip to Italy, she truly saw how versatile eggs can be. That trip inspired a baked egg dish that features cured olives, cream and breadcrumbs. Everyone around her said a menu item like that would never sell, but she put it on the menu at her other restaurant, Lincoln, and it has never come off. This version here, also inspired by her travels to Italy, includes a pizza sauce component. It, like the other baked egg dish, is a best-seller. Louis points out that the dish is so versatile that she sometimes makes it using duck or turkey eggs. Give it a try.

From Jenn Louis, Sunshine Tavern, Portland, OR. Yield: 6 baked egg servings:

½ small onion, small dice
2” piece of rosemary
1 sage leaf
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch red chili flakes
1 quart whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand to leave chunky
1Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
3 black oil-cured olives,
pitted and cut into halves
12 large eggs
6- 1⁄4” slices pancetta,
seared in a pan
kosher salt
black pepper

Preheat convection oven to 350° or 375° in a non-convection. Over medium heat, saute onion, rosemary, sage, bay and garlic, until onion is translucent and garlic is cooked through, but not brown. Add chili flakes and tomato and cook until sauce has reduced to medium thickness. Sauce should not be pasty or dry, nor watery.  Season with chopped parsley, kosher salt and black pepper.

Place 1⁄4 cup of tomato sauce in bottom of gratin dish. Crack 2 eggs on top of tomato sauce. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Bake for about 6 minutes in oven, covered, or until egg whites are barely cooked through.

Remove from oven, top with warm pancetta and serve.