Crab Imperial Eggs en Cocotte Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Editorial Director

Daniel is the editorial director of Serious Eats, where he leads the site's editorial strategy and oversees everything from recipe development to articles on food science, cooking techniques, and more. He's a former food editor at Food & Wine and has cooked in New York City restaurants.

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Updated April 02, 2025
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Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Making a divot in the center of the crab layer in each ramekin helps hold the yolks right in the middle of the ramekins.
  • A low oven and hot water bath cook the eggs slowly, giving you a wide window of opportunity to pull them out before the yolks fully set.

These easy, individually baked eggs sit atop a layer of Maryland's classic Crab Imperial—blue crabmeat tossed in mayonnaise with Dijon mustard and herbs. A dash of Old Bay on top finishes them off.

Recipe Details

Crab Imperial Eggs en Cocotte Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 15 mins
Active 30 mins
Total 25 mins
Serves 4 servings
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Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (230 g) crabmeat, picked over for shells

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems

  • 1 scallion, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced on the bias, plus more for garnish

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Unsalted butter, for greasing the ramekins

  • 4 large eggs

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream

  • Boiling water

  • Old Bay seasoning, for garnish

  • Toasted bread, for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a medium bowl, gently fold crabmeat with mayonnaise, mustard, parsley, and scallion until evenly mixed. Season with salt and pepper.

  2. Grease 4 (4-ounce) ramekins with butter. Lightly sprinkle salt on the bottom and side of each ramekin. Scoop enough crab mixture to form a thin, even layer on the bottom of each ramekin. Form a circular depression in the center of the crab in each ramekin. (This will help cradle the egg yolk and keep it centered.)

  3. Gently slide an egg into each ramekin. Drizzle heavy cream around each egg, then season with salt and pepper. Place ramekins in a baking dish and transfer to oven. Carefully pour enough boiling water into baking dish to submerge ramekins 3/4 of the way. Bake eggs en cocotte until whites are just set and yolks are still jiggly, about 15 minutes. Very carefully remove baking dish from oven.

  4. Using a very thin metal spatula and tongs, lift each ramekin out of the hot water. Set ramekins on a clean kitchen towel to dry bottoms, then transfer to plates. Garnish with scallions and a dash of Old Bay and serve right away with toasts.

Special Equipment

4 (4-ounce) ramekins, baking dish

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
316 Calories
20g Fat
13g Carbs
19g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 316
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 6g 29%
Cholesterol 259mg 86%
Sodium 711mg 31%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 4mg 22%
Calcium 122mg 9%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 281mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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