Golden Mashed Potatoes with Morels and Baked Eggs

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a heatproof bowl, cover the morels with the boiling water and let stand for about 15 minutes to soften. Drain the morels, reserving the water; rinse and coarsely chop the morels.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cover the potatoes and garlic with water and boil over high heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and garlic and return them to the pan. Dry over moderately high heat, shaking the pan for about 1 minute. Work the potatoes and garlic through a ricer or mash them by hand in a large bowl.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring often, until it is soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Add the morels and 1/4 cup of the cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the potatoes along with the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream and the reserved mushroom water; season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the potatoes into a buttered shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Make 4 shallow indentations in the potatoes and break an egg into each. Sprinkle the cheese over all. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the egg whites are set and the yolks are softly cooked. Garnish with the chives and serve at once.