Eggs, high-fat dairy, and heat form a winning combination, particularly when gently baked in a water bath. The inside somehow becomes both custardy and fluffy, and the top, gently or—if you blast it under the broiler for a moment—highly burnished. It’s an easy enough maneuver to execute, but usually reserved for a crowd; an individual soufflé-esque egg is a lovely breakfast, but not one I am willing to crank up my entire oven to make. You can probably guess where I’m going with this.
One of my favorite things about my air fryer is its size. If you are in the habit of cooking for one—or even two—it allows you to make smaller portions of dishes you would usually prepare in the oven, cutting down on your power bill and keeping your kitchen cooler. This is equally true of roasted garlic—which looks silly sitting all alone in standard-sized oven—and of these wee baked eggs. A water bath might sound air fryer-prohibitive, but you can pour the water directly into the basket. (If you have a toaster oven-type of air fryer, just set a ramekin down in a small sheet pan or other shallow dish that can hold water.)
When cooked in an air fryer, a mixture of eggs, half & half, and salt produces a dish somewhere between a soufflé and frittata. The insides are fluffy and tender like the former, and the top is browned like the latter. It’s a simple, satisfying breakfast. You can sprinkle the top with a little cheese towards the end of the cook, or you can turn it out of its ramekin, slice it horizontally, and stack it on a sandwich. To make one, you will need:
Combine all ingredients except butter in a small bowl and beat to combine. (You can also pour everything into a jar or other sealable container and shake the heck out of it.) Grease a 6-ounce ramekin with little bit of butter, then pour the egg mixture into the ramekin.
Preheat the air fryer to 300℉, then place the ramekin in the center of the basket (remove the tray if there is one). Pour about two cups of hot water from the tap into the insert—or enough so it comes up about half way up the ramekin. Cook for 30-35 minutes, until the middle is set and the top is browned.
