If girolles are not available, use ceps, black trumpets or button mushrooms instead. This dish is perfect as a starter, but if you want to serve it as a main course, allow 2 eggs per person.
125g (4½oz) girolles
20g (1½ tbsp) softened butter, plus 30g (2 tbsp) for the cocottes
200ml (scant 1 cup) double (heavy) cream
juice of ½ lemon
2 tsp snipped flat parsley leaves
leaves from 1 small thyme sprig
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 eggs
hot toast fingers
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 325ºF/Gas 3. Clean the girolles, scraping off any earth or sand with a small knife, then wipe gently with a slightly damp cloth. Cut 4 thin slices from the middle of the best girolles and reserve. Finely chop the rest.
Heat the 20g (1½ tbsp) butter in a small frying pan and sauté the mushroom slices for 30 seconds on each side until golden; set aside for the garnish.
Pour two-thirds of the cream into a pan and boil over a medium heat until reduced by one-quarter. Add the chopped girolles and lemon juice, and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Take off the heat, add the parsley and thyme, season to taste and leave to cool.
Brush the insides of 4 cocottes or ramekins, about 8 cm (3¼in) in diameter and 4 cm (1½in) deep with softened butter and season lightly. Divide the cream and girolle mixture between the dishes. Carefully tip an egg into each one and pour the rest of the cream over the whites. Bake the eggs until cooked to your liking.
Place a cocotte on each plate and put a sautéed girolle slice on top of each egg. Serve immediately with fingers of hot toast for dipping into the yolks.