INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup finely grated Gruyère cheese

2 teaspoons finely grated very cold unsalted butter

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 large eggs, at room temperature

6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped (about 1 teaspoon)

Maldon salt for sprinkling

Freshly ground pepper

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 325°F on the convection setting. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange four 6-inch ceramic au gratin dishes on top and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the cream, Gruyère, and butter. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in each of the dishes, swirling to coat the bottom and sides. Gently crack two eggs into each dish, taking care not to break the yolks. Dollop the cream mixture evenly over the egg whites, avoiding the yolks.

Bake until the egg whites are just set and the yolks are still runny, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the thyme, Maldon salt, and a few cracks of pepper and serve.

COOK’S NOTE: If you are not using your convection setting, this dish will cook more slowly, closer to 18 to 20 minutes.