Ingredients:

  • 6 large eggs (300g)
  • 1.5 cups full fat cottage cheese (340g)
  • 1 cup freshly grated Gruyère cheese (100g)
  • 0.5 cup freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese (50g)
  • 0.25 tsp sea salt
  • 0.25 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 150g thick-cut bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Place a roasting pan filled with an inch of hot water on the middle rack. Note: This creates the steam before the eggs even go in.
  2. Crisp the bacon. Fry the 150g of thick cut bacon in a pan until it is deeply browned and shatters when pressed.
  3. Drain and crumble. Place the bacon on a paper towel to remove excess grease, then chop it into small, uniform bits.
  4. Blend the base. Put the 6 eggs, 1.5 cups cottage cheese, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika into your blender.
  5. Process until smooth. Pulse for about 15-20 seconds until the mixture is pale yellow and completely aerated.
  6. Add the cheese. Stir in the 1 cup of Gruyère and 0.5 cup of Monterey Jack by hand. Note: Don't blend the cheese, or the bites will be too dense.
  7. Prepare the tray. Lightly grease a silicone muffin pan and drop a generous pinch of bacon into the bottom of each well.
  8. Fill the wells. Pour the egg mixture over the bacon, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way to the top.
  9. Bake with steam. Carefully place the muffin tray into the water bath in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until the tops are set but still have a slight jiggle.
  10. Rest and release. Let them sit in the tray for 5 minutes until they pull away slightly from the edges before popping them out.