The story
Presumably in reference to the apocryphal story behind the egg of Columbus, since the eggs in this dish would have their ends crushed to allow them to stand upright like bowls.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Columbus egg
Today it means: A hard-boiled egg cut in half and filled with a mixture of its yolk with ham, cream, and nutmeg. Full definition →