Learn about this recipe from our historic foodways staff, then try it at home
There are several recipes that Historic Foodways staff members create which prompt frequent requests for cooking instructions. Eggs in Paper Cases is one of them. This delightfully simple recipe is not only tasty, but fun and easy to do. The one mystery? The book neglects to tell one how to make, buy or even what the paper cases look like. We guess that’s a mystery left to the mists of time. If you wish to have a little more fun, we suggest you create your own origami boxes for the recipe.
18th Century
Mix some chopt sweet-herbs with a piece of butter, pepper, and salt; put a little of this in the bottom of each case; break an egg into each case, upon the farcie, and a little more over; strew them over with bread-crumbs, and bake in the oven, or broil over a slow fire, covering the top with a salamander; they ought to be as soft as if boiled in the shells.
— The Practice of Modern Cookery, by George Dalrymple, 1781.
21st Century
Ingredients
- 8 Paper cupcake liners
- 8 Large eggs
- 1 Stick of butter, softened
- Tbs chopped fresh parsley
- Tbs chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbs Bread crumbs
Instructions
- Set oven to broil.
- Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Mix softened butter with chopped parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Drop 1 tsp of herb butter in each of the 8 cupcake liners.
- Gently break one eggs into each of the 8 cupcake liners.
- Divide and drop the remaining herb butter on top of the raw eggs.
- Sprinkle each eggs with some bread crumbs.
- Place pan under broiler, and cook until the white is cooked but the yellow is still soft.*
- Gently remove cupcake wrappers from hot pan, serve with warm toast, two per person.
* Please feel free to cook the eggs to your desired degree of doneness- sunny side up to hard, it’s really your choice.