French

Oeufs en meurette

A Burgundian dish of softly poached eggs set into a glossy red wine sauce with lardons, mushrooms, and pearl onions. Serve it over garlic-rubbed croutons so the bread catches the rich meurette sauce.

Ingredients

• Large eggs4
• Red Burgundy wine, such as Pinot Noir500ml
• Unsalted butter45g
• Smoked lardons or thick-cut bacon, diced100g
• Pearl onions, peeled100g
• Button or cremini mushrooms, quartered150g
• Shallot, finely chopped1 small
• Garlic cloves2
• All-purpose flour1 tbsp
• Beef or veal stock200ml
• Bouquet garni with thyme, bay leaf, and parsley stems1
• Red wine vinegar1 tbsp
• Country bread2 thick slices
• Fine sea saltto taste
• Freshly ground black pepperto taste
• Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped1 tbsp

Method

1. Pour the red wine into a saucepan with the bouquet garni and one lightly crushed garlic clove, bring to a simmer, and reduce by about one third.
2. Strain the reduced wine into a bowl, discard the aromatics, and reserve the wine for the sauce.
3. In a sauté pan, cook the lardons over medium heat until browned and their fat has rendered, then lift them out with a slotted spoon.
4. Add 15g butter to the same pan, cook the pearl onions with a pinch of salt until lightly golden, then add a splash of water, cover, and simmer until just tender.
5. Uncover the pan, add the mushrooms, and cook until their liquid evaporates and they begin to brown.
6. Add the chopped shallot and cook for 2 minutes, then return the lardons to the pan.
7. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it coats the garnish without scorching.
8. Whisk in the reduced wine and the stock, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until glossy and lightly thickened.
9. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper, then whisk in 20g cold butter off the heat to finish it.
10. Toast the country bread in the remaining butter until crisp and golden, then rub each slice with the remaining garlic clove.
11. Bring a wide saucepan of water to a bare simmer with the red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt.
12. Crack each egg into a small cup, slide them one at a time into the simmering water, and poach for 3 to 4 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks remain soft.
13. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on a clean towel.
14. Place one garlic crouton in each warm shallow bowl, spoon over some meurette sauce and garnish, and set two poached eggs on top.
15. Coat the eggs with more sauce, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

Common questions