Are you ready to go beyond pressure-cooked hard-boiled eggs? The next breakfast to try in your Instant Pot or multicooker is eggs en cocotte, French for "in pot" or ramekins more specifically. Traditionally, raw eggs are cracked into a buttered ramekin along with a splash of cream and, optionally, your choice of cheese, veggies, and herbs. The ramekins are then placed in a pot filled with a little bit of water. The lid goes on the pot, and the pot goes on the stovetop to boil the water and steam the contents of the ramekins until the egg whites set. It tastes like a cross between poached eggs and an omelette and is heavenly when scooped and spread onto fresh toast. A multicooker makes this process less than five minutes compared to the traditional method, which can take eight minutes to bring the water to boil and another six to seven minutes for the eggs to steam.
You will need an electric multicooker like Instant Pot or Crock-Pot Express, as pictured, as well as a trivet that will fit in the base of the multicooker's bowl and three small ceramic ramekins. We sautéed mushrooms and chives for our pressure-cooked eggs in cocotte, but you can also add in sautéed leek or shallot if you have them on hand. Just keep the overall veggie ingredients about the same so everything fits below the lipped rim of the ramekins.
If you have slightly larger ramekins, try cracking in an additional egg to fill it to just below the rim. A bigger vessel may affect your overall cook time, so be patient as you fiddle with what settings yield eggs the way you like them.
Consider this recipe a loose guideline to introduce the technique. The most important thing to remember is the multicooker will set those egg yolks FAST. So, if you love a runny yolk, start with setting it on a low pressure cook for one minute. Medium eggs, as pictured, will take two minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee, plus more for greasing
- 2 cups mushrooms, chopped (or other veggies of your choosing)
- salt
- 1 tablespoon chives, chopped
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions
Using the sauté setting of a multicooker, melt ghee, then sauté mushrooms together, until tender, caramelized, and reduced to 3/4 cup. Season with salt to taste.
Meanwhile, grease the ramekins. When mushrooms are cooked, divide into ramekins. Top each with a teaspoon of chives, a freshly cracked egg, and a tablespoon of cream.
The multicooker pots are nonstick, and so you shouldn’t need to wash them. Simply add 2 cups of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Add the trivet, and place the egg-filled ramekins on top. Secure and lock the lid of the multicooker. Pressure cook on low for 1-2 minutes. Quick release and immediately remove the top when the pressure has normalized. Carefully remove the ramekins. They’ll be hot, so use heatproof oven mitts or mason jar lifters (if you have them).
Serve with freshly toasted bread, like walnut levain as pictured.
(Photos via Brittany Griffin / Brit + Co)
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Anna Monette Roberts
As Brit + Co's Food Editor, Anna Monette Roberts has an insatiable appetite for developing tasty dishes. When she's not dreaming about her next meal, she's . . . well, probably cooking up her creations. Her favorite foods include chewy chocolate chip cookies, Rosé Champagne, and gooey French cheeses — in no particular order.
FAQs
Cover each ramekin with foil. Place the trivet in the inner pot of your electric pressure cooker and pour in 1 1/2 cups water. Arrange three ramekins on top of the trivet and carefully stack the remaining three ramekins on top of the first three. (If you have an additional rack, use it for stacking the ramekins.)
What happens if you put an egg in a pressure cooker? ›
Pressure cooker hard-boiled eggs aren't any quicker to make (the pressure cooker's usual claim to fame), but here's why it's great: it actually makes fresh eggs easy to peel! If you happen to raise chickens or have access to really fresh eggs, a pressure cooker is the best way to make hard-cooked eggs.
How many whistles to boil an egg in a pressure cooker? ›
Procedure: Put eggs in pressure cooker, pour water as such top of eggs (1/10 th ,like a iceberg) should be above water level, 1 whistle is sufficient on low/medium flame, wait for steam to release. Enjoy perfectly boiled eggs.
Why do eggs explode in pressure cooker? ›
There are several reasons that eggs could explode in the Instant Pot, but they are all easily avoidable if you follow the instructions listed in the recipe card. Here are some possible reasons: Forget to add water to the Instant Pot. Not using a trivet and placing the eggs directly on the Instant Pot surface.
What to avoid when using pressure cooker? ›
Pressure Cooker Don'ts:
- Don't open the pressure cooker while cooking. ...
- Don't release the pressure before it's time. ...
- Don't overfill the pressure cooker. ...
- Don't add thickeners. ...
- Don't give up after one bad experience.
The answer is they'll turn out great! Pressure cookers cook foods with steam and pressure, and both are very good for hard-boiling eggs since the whites will come out tender and not rubbery, and the shells will come off more easily than cooking them in any other way.
How do you keep eggs from cracking in a pressure cooker? ›
It's best to avoid the high pressure setting when cooking eggs. It creates too much of a volatile environment for the delicate eggs, leaving them prone to cracking or leaking during cooking. Follow this tip: For the best results, keep the pressure cooker set to low when cooking eggs.
How do I know when egg cooker is done? ›
Once all the water is gone, a cute jingle will play to alert you that your eggs are done. After that, I tend to plunge them into ice water to prevent them from overcooking, but that's not a necessary step.
Why are my eggs exploding? ›
“The reason eggs, particularly poached eggs, explode in the microwave is due to the buildup of steam inside the egg,” says Trey Braswell, president of Eggland's Best franchisee Braswell Farms. “The water inside the egg heats up rapidly, turning into steam, but this steam doesn't have an easy way to escape.
Why do old eggs explode? ›
A loud bang, followed by a very bad smell, are the usual signs. This phenomenon is caused by gas-producing bacteria, often Pseudomonas spp., inside the egg. Pressure inside such an egg builds up and even a small vibration can be enough to trigger the explosion.
If eggs crack during hard cooking, they are safe.
Can I put a ceramic bowl in a pressure cooker? ›
You must be wondering what are the best containers that you can use for the PIP method. There are numerous options available for the pot-in-pot method. Instant pot-safe bowls can be made of stainless steel, glass, ceramic, silicone, aluminum, bamboo, or copper.
Can you put anything in a pressure cooker? ›
Pressure cooking is the process of cooking food at high pressure, by using water or stock, in a specialty cooking pot called a pressure cooker. Just about any ingredient that can be steamed, or is cooked with liquids, can be cooked in a pressure cooker.
Can you put a ramekin in the crockpot? ›
You can fit four or five 3-inch (6-ounce) ramekins into a 6-quart oval slow cooker without having them touch each other. You use ramekins for baking muffins, cupcakes, and individual custards. You can sit a good-sized bread or loaf pan (9¼” x 5¼” x 2¾” -or smaller) on the floor of most 6-quart oval slow cookers.
Can ramekins be used for steaming? ›
Refer to the lessons on Steaming for more information, if necessary. Gather four small ramekins and coat the inside of each with a thin layer of fat. Crack an egg into each ramekin and season with a pinch of salt. Cover each ramekin with foil and transfer to the steaming basket.
