Eggs en Cocotte

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Grease 6 x 150 ml ramekins with butter, set aside.
Wash the spinach well and remove the stems. Sauté the bacon in a small fry pan until cooked. Drain on paper
towels and divide evenly between the 6 ramekins. Crush the garlic and sauté gently in the olive oil in a large pot.

Add the spinach and when it has wilted, season with salt, pepper and a good grating of nutmeg. Drain and cool. Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the spinach – either using your hands or in a tea towel. Chop it finely then distribute between the ramekins.

Using the back of a spoon, make a small dent in the middle then break an egg into each ramekin. Pour on 2 tablespoon of cream, season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle a little parmesan over each dish.
Place a clean tea towel in the bottom of a baking dish, put the ramekins in the dish and add boiling water to come halfway up the ramekins.

Bake for 15 minutes for a medium soft egg, 20 minutes for a hard cooked egg. Remove from the baking dish and serve immediately. Serves 6

Square ramekins: Available at stores nationwide