Baked eggs ‘en cocotte’ are deliciously delicate. They can be prepared in advance and kept in their ramekins in the fridge, ready to cook in a bain-marie just a few minutes before serving. I adore all the recipes in this chapter, but my favourite is truffled eggs en cocotte. Nicole, the wife of my dear pâtissier friend, Frédéric Jouvaud from Carpentras, always makes this dish for me when I visit them during the truffle season. Naturally, the truffles come from nearby Mont Ventoux. To impart flavour, Nicole puts a few truffles in an airtight box with the eggs a day before my arrival. When she breaks the eggs into the ramekins, they release the most wonderful truffle aroma. It is agonising waiting while the eggs are baking in the oven! I particularly love to prepare this recipe for a celebration, such as New Year’s Eve dinner.