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Place 1 teaspoon cream-and-herb mixture in each custard cup or ramekin; break an egg into each. Divide the remaining cream mixture among the cups (a scant 1 tablespoon in each).

Place the ramekins or cups on a large, lipped baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart for even heat flow. Bake just until the whites begin to set. At 8 minutes, the whites should be set but the yolks still runny; at 12 to 14 minutes, the yolks should be set, too. Remove from the oven, season with salt and pepper, and let stand for 2 minutes at room temperature before serving. (Be forewarned: the cups or ramekins are still quite hot.)

Note: Direct heat toughens egg whites considerably, so you need a small barrier of fat to protect them in the oven. Do not use low-fat or fat-free milk.

Variations: Substitute oregano, tarragon, marjoram, or thyme for the parsley.

Sprinkle a little homemade salsa, purchased salsa, or Asian chili sauce over the eggs when they come out of the oven.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shirred Eggs: Cut 4 paper-thin slices of prosciutto in half the short way. Butter or spray the cups or ramekins, then line each with the prosciutto slices, making sure the strips cover the inside surface without any prosciutto sticking out over the top. Place these lined cups or ramekins on a large, lipped baking sheet and bake in the 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove, cool for 10 minutes, and continue with the main recipe from step 2. The eggs will cook faster in these prosciutto cups: about 6 minutes for runny-set and 10 minutes for hard-set.

Omelet

A fluffy omelet is a simple pleasure, provided you have a nonstick skillet. Makes 1 omelet

1 teaspoon unsalted butter or olive oil

3 large eggs, lightly whisked in a small bowl until almost uniform

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat; or heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, then swirl in the olive oil. Make sure the fat coats the skillet’s bottom.

Pour in the eggs and immediately tip the pan so that they evenly coat it. Wait for 10 seconds, then use a heat-safe rubber spatula to push the done eggs, the parts nearest the pan’s rim, toward the center, tilting the pan to let more of the liquid egg come into contact with the hot surface. Keep doing this for about 1 minute, continually loosening the cooked egg from the pan’s surface. Do not mound the curds as you would for scrambled eggs; keep the omelet flat in the skillet by continually pouring more of the liquid egg to the edges and pushing the cooked parts back from the edges, like crumpling up a tablecloth back from a table’s edge.

Once the omelet is almost set, tilt the pan up by the handle; loosen the “highest” part of the omelet from the edge. Continue lifting the pan up and use the heat-safe spatula to guide the flat omelet as it falls down over itself, the flap you created from the upper edge rolling down as you raise the pan higher and loosen more of the omelet.

Place the pan over the serving plate and tip it all the way up so the handle is straight up over the plate. Gently turn the omelet out onto the plate, letting the last bit flop over the top of the omelet on the plate. Season with salt and pepper.

Three Ways to Gussy Up Omelets

I. Herbed Omelets

Sprinkle any of the following or any combination of the following over the omelet just as it’s set, just before you start to roll it out of the pan: 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, 1 to 2 tablespoons minced chives or the minced green part of a scallion, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, 1 to 2 teaspoons stemmed thyme, or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.

II. Filled Omelets

Add any of the following in a line down the middle of the omelet once it’s almost set, before you start rolling it out of the skillet: 1 ounce grated cheese, ¼ cup jam or jelly; ¼ cup Ragù, Marinara Sauce, or purchased pasta sauce; ¼ cup purchased cooked lump crabmeat; 2 tablespoons Blackberry-Rhubarb