Oeufs en cocotte -- shirred eggs

does anyone know what the 'water bath' actually accomplishes? doesn't seem that the eggs would even know they had a 'bath'.

If your question is in regards to Frank's original recipe at the top of the thread, the water bath causes the heat to be distributed evenly across all the ramekins and across the full height of the ramekin.

You also boil the water in a kettle before filling the bath. So in my semi-failed attempt at the eggs at a friend's house (in which their oven was the wrong temperature) -- the only part of the egg that got cooked was the lower part that had been heated by the hot water. I should have stuck them back in the oven but it was a confusing situation and I was trying very hard not to overcook them. As it was everyone still raved about them although I was disappointed.

In my really successful Pumpkin Flan, they came out just perfect and I am sure that the creamy perfect texture had a lot to do with the water that spread out the heat. WIthout that you stand a chance of having runny parts and burn-y parts.

Then get rid of the salt, put fiddie back in pan, this time skin side up, and cover with half a bottle of SB, 1/4 cup of EVOO, a chopped shallot, chopped chervil, and a tablespoon or so each whole coriander, peppercorns, and fennel. Marinate 10-12 hours.

Fiddie is in the pan.