Eggs en Meurette (Poached Eggs in Red Wine Sauce) Recipe

[Photographs: Vicky Wasik]
Eggs en meurette is a classic Burgundian dish of poached eggs in a rich and flavorful red wine sauce. It's a lot like beef bourguignon or coq au vin, just without the beef or chicken, and a lot quicker and easier.
Why It Works
- Preparing a batch of sautéed vegetables for the garnish and keeping them aside until the end guarantees they won't turn to mush in the simmering sauce.
- A gelatin-rich stock adds body to the sauce, requiring less flour later to thicken.
- Yield:Serves 4
- Active time: 1 hour
- Total time:1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium broth
- 1 packet (1/4 ounce; 7g) powdered unflavored gelatin (only if chicken stock is low in gelatin or store-bought; see note)
- 4 ounces slab bacon (115g), cut into lardons (small batons)
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms (170g), stems reserved and caps quartered
- Vegetable oil, as needed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium carrots (3 ounces/85g each), 1 cut into 1/2-inch dice and 1 cut into 1-inch pieces, divided
- 4 ounces defrosted frozen pearl onions (115g; about 40 small), see note
- 2 medium shallots, cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium cloves garlic, divided
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 cups dry red wine (475ml)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (30g), softened
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Pinch sugar (optional)
- 4 pieces toasted country bread
- 8 poached large eggs
- Minced flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Directions
-
1.
If adding powdered gelatin to chicken stock, pour stock into a measuring cup or medium bowl and sprinkle gelatin all over the surface. Let stand.
-
2.
In a 3-quart saucier or saucepan, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and starting to crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate, leaving rendered bacon fat in the saucier.
-
3.
Add diced mushroom caps and cook, stirring, until they release their water and then brown all over, about 6 minutes; add oil as needed at any point if saucepan becomes too dry. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape sautéed mushrooms onto plate with bacon and set aside.
-
4.
Add small diced carrot and pearl onions to the saucier, and cook, stirring, until just softened, about 5 minutes; add oil at any point if the pan becomes too dry. Transfer carrots and pearl onions to plate with bacon and mushrooms.
-
5.
Add reserved mushroom stems, large diced carrots, shallots, 1 clove garlic, and thyme sprig to saucier and cook, stirring, until just starting to brown; lower heat and/or add oil to saucier at any point to prevent scorching. Add red wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of the pan. Continue to simmer until wine is reduced by half.
-
6.
Meanwhile, mix butter with flour until thoroughly incorporated; keep cool.
-
7.
Add chicken stock and gelatin to saucier and return to a simmer. Continue cooking until reduced by one third. Strain sauce into a heatproof bowl, discard solids, then return to the saucier. Whisk in butter-flour mixture, then simmer until sauce begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. If sauce is thin, you can reduce further, or whisk in additional butter-flour mixture. Season with salt and pepper. If it tastes too sharp or acidic, you can whisk in a pinch of sugar to round out the flavor.
-
8.
Add bacon and vegetable garnishes to the sauce and heat through. Rub toasts with remaining clove of garlic, then set on serving plates. Slide 2 poached eggs onto each toast. Spoon the sauce and garnishes all over, sprinkle with parsley, and serve right away.