I’ve never understood why baked eggs haven’t caught on in the United States. They’re easy to prepare, infinitely adaptable to whims and leftovers, and delicious. In their simplest form, small cocottes, or ramekins, are buttered, an egg cracked inside, and the eggs cooked in a covered sauté pan for about 8 minutes on top of the stove or in the oven until the white sets but the yolk stays runny—a kind of poached egg in a mold. For my own slightly richer version, I dribble some heavy cream over the egg; the cream mingles with the white, keeping it custardlike as it cooks. Then I grate some Parmegiano-Reggiano over it before cooking. Classic recipes abound with the usual rococo variations—purées and forcemeats are placed under the eggs and rich and complicated sauces on top. My own versions follow the same principles but contain far more humble ingredients, often leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. I put cooked and diced vegetables—asparagus, string beans, mushrooms, tomato sauce—or diced cooked seafood—shrimp, lobster—or diced pieces of leftover stew with their stewing liquid—in the bottom of the ramekin, crack in the egg, dribble with cream, and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano. If I’m having brunch guests, I make a couple of different kinds and serve each guest a set of 2. (My ramekins hold 6 fluid ounces [175 ml] and measure about ¾ inches [8.5 cm] in diameter; you can also use 6-ounce [175 ml] Pyrex custard cups.) The variations that follow the recipe are among my favorites.