French Onion Skillet Eggs Gratin
By Matthew FairmanPublished on August 16, 2025
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You will need a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. If you have it, use a glass lid so that it’s easier to monitor the eggs while they’re cooking. This recipe moves quickly; be sure to have your ingredients prepped ahead for best results.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 2 pounds onions, halved and sliced through root end ¼ inch thick; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ cup water; 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar; 2 teaspoons minced thyme; and ¾ teaspoon table salt to boil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated and onions are softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits, until onions are well browned, 6 to 10 minutes longer.
- Stir in ½ cup sherry, scraping up any browned bits, and cook over medium heat until evaporated, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle onions with 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2½ cups chicken broth, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon salt, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cover skillet; reduce heat to medium-low; and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thin gravy, about 20 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
- Meanwhile, toss 8 ounces baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes; remaining 3 tablespoons oil; remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper together on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, 15 to 18 minutes. Let croutons cool on sheet.
- Heat broiler. Crack 1 egg into small bowl, then pour egg into center of skillet over gravy. Repeat with remaining 7 eggs, spacing them evenly around perimeter of skillet. Return mixture to simmer over medium heat. Cover skillet; reduce heat to medium-low; and cook, rotating skillet as needed to ensure even cooking, until whites are set and mostly opaque, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Off heat, sprinkle croutons evenly over egg mixture, followed by 1½ cups shredded fontina and ⅔ cup shredded Parmesan. Broil until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted an elevated, supremely comforting dinner featuring a staple protein that’s often taken for granted: the humble egg. Giving skillet-poached eggs the French onion treatment did just the trick. For the base of our French onion “soup,” we essentially created a luscious caramelized onion gravy that we bolstered with herby thyme and nutty, complex sherry. Starting the onions with water, salt, oil, and a little brown sugar in a covered skillet sped up the process of caramelizing them: The steam helped break down the onions efficiently so that when we uncovered them to finish cooking, they browned evenly. Stirring in a half-cup of sherry not only picked up all of the delicious caramelized onion fond from the surface of the skillet, but it also layered in a nutty, mellow acidity and depth. A bit of cream rounded out the edges, making for a deeply satisfying medium in which to gently poach eight eggs. Finally, to mimic the beloved crowd-pleasing final touch of French onion soup, we topped the skillet poached eggs with toasted baguette and shredded cheese and melted it quickly under the broiler.
Before You Begin
You will need a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. If you have it, use a glass lid so that it’s easier to monitor the eggs while they’re cooking. This recipe moves quickly; be sure to have your ingredients prepped ahead for best results.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 2 pounds onions, halved and sliced through root end ¼ inch thick; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ cup water; 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar; 2 teaspoons minced thyme; and ¾ teaspoon table salt to boil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated and onions are softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits, until onions are well browned, 6 to 10 minutes longer.
- Stir in ½ cup sherry, scraping up any browned bits, and cook over medium heat until evaporated, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle onions with 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2½ cups chicken broth, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon salt, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cover skillet; reduce heat to medium-low; and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thin gravy, about 20 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
- Meanwhile, toss 8 ounces baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes; remaining 3 tablespoons oil; remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper together on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, 15 to 18 minutes. Let croutons cool on sheet.
- Heat broiler. Crack 1 egg into small bowl, then pour egg into center of skillet over gravy. Repeat with remaining 7 eggs, spacing them evenly around perimeter of skillet. Return mixture to simmer over medium heat. Cover skillet; reduce heat to medium-low; and cook, rotating skillet as needed to ensure even cooking, until whites are set and mostly opaque, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Off heat, sprinkle croutons evenly over egg mixture, followed by 1½ cups shredded fontina and ⅔ cup shredded Parmesan. Broil until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Keep Exploring
0 Comments