Eggs With Cream, Spinach, and Country Ham

Ingredients

1/4 cup thinly sliced country ham, finely chopped

3/4 cup Scant ¾ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

10 ounces spinach, coarse stem discarded

8 large eggs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Bring ham and cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium0low heat, then remove from heat. Let steep, uncovered, about 10 minutes.

Cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter in a 12 inch heavy skillet over medium0ow heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add garlic and season lightly with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add spinach, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, turning with tongs, until spinach is wilted.

Drain spinach in a colander, pressing to remove excess liquid, then coarsely chop. Divide spinach, then ham, among ramekins, spooning 1 tablespoon cream into each serving.

Crack eggs into ramekins and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Spoon 1 teaspoon cream over each egg.

Cut remaining tablespoon butter int o 8 small pieces and dot each egg with butter.

Put ramekins in a shallow baking pan and bake, rotating pan halfway through baking, until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, 15-20 minutes, removing rom oven as cooked.