Oeuf Poche Meurette (Eggs Poached in a Red Wine Sauce)
When I was in Lyon, my friend took me to this famous and amazingly delicious restaurant called Le Café Des Fédérations where I indulged in one of the best meals I’ve ever had. As an opener though, they brought this dish of poached egg (my first) on toast in the center with bacon and onions covered in a blood red wine sauce. I promised myself as soon as I got back to the States that I would attempt to recreate this delectable recipe. So almost two years later, I finally did. Here’s my version of a fantastic French dish that can be eaten for breakfast, brunch, lunch, as an appetizer for dinner, or even dinner itself.
This recipe feeds 4 people who want one egg or 2 people who want two eggs. There are a lot of steps and this isn’t the easiest recipe to make but it is absolutely worth it. I will warn you though, the smell of alcohol from the boiling down of an entire bottle of wine will haunt your house for at least a day if your windows are closed. Still super worth it.
I always have an extra bottle of red wine on hand because I’m so slow at poaching the eggs that sometimes the Wine cooks down faster than I’m able to work. Also, the saying don't cook with it if you’re not willing to drink it especially true for this one.
1 Bottle Burgundy Wine (or a hearty Pinot Noir)
2 Cups Stock Mixture
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Cup Beef Stock
4 Eggs
Bowl Ice Water
Sticks of Butter
1 Clove Garlic
1 Clove Garlic minced
1/4 Lb Thick Bacon
2 oz Mushrooms chopped
1 Shallot sliced thinly
1/2 Tsp Brown Sugar
4 Slices Bread such as Texas Toast, Brioche, or White Bread
1 Bouquet Garni
3 Fresh Parsley Sprigs
1 Fresh Thyme Sprig
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 Onion sliced thinly
1 Carrot sliced thinly
1 Stalk Celery sliced thinly
4 Peppercorns
Mis en Place is super important for this recipe so get every single thing good and ready before even thinking about starting. Have the pot of Stock Mixture handy, have the Bouquet Garni ready, and have all of the Eggs cracked into their own individual ramekin ready for a quick drop into the pot.
So let’s begin; Pour the entire bottle of Wine in a smaller pot and bring it to a boil. Don’t worry, you’re not wasting any delicious Wine.
Once the Wine’s boiling take a large wooden spoon or a whisk and turn that pot into a whirlpool. I mean really get that intoxicating red Wine spinning round and round. After it’s got a nice little twist in the center carefully pour an Egg into it. Very gently keep that whirlpool a whirlin’ for the next just over 2 minutes while that Egg poaches. I like to carefully pour the egg, start the gentle whirlpool again, look at the clock, and then take it out after that last number’s moved forward twice.
Once those three minutes are up, gently remove the Egg (I use a stainless steel strainer) and briefly lay it in some Ice Water before setting it aside. The Ice Water is to stop the Egg from continuing to cook because you don’t want it to be completely cooked through. It’s 100% imperative that the poached Egg’s yolk runs over the toast in the completed dish. It’s also 100% imperative to be very careful with the Egg as you do not want to puncture it in any way.
Repeat that step of creating a vortex, pouring the Egg, letting it cook, plunging it into ice water, and setting it aside for each and every Egg.
Once the Eggs are all done you’ll need to clean that Wine by pouring it into another large pot through a sieve or strainer to catch all the Egg shrapnel.
After being cleaned, place the Wine back on the heat and add the cut Onion, Carrot, Celery, Garlic Clove, the Bouquet Garni, and Peppercorns and boil it all until the Wine’s been reduced by half. It’ll be a little bit.
While it’s being reduced to half its original volume though, you can start on the other goodies: In a skillet you’ll want to throw in a generous square of Butter over medium heat and cook the thick Bacon until they’re almost crispy. Once finished, place the pig pieces on a paper towel and cover with some foil.
Now throw some more Butter into the skillet until it’s melted before sautéing the Mushrooms. Keep the Bacon grease for heart healthy taste. When the fungi’s almost done, toss in the minced Garlic and cook for another minute. When finished place it all next to the Bacon under the foil.
The last sauté step is the Shallots: throw even more Butter into that same skillet as well as the Brown Sugar. Once that has began to bubble, throw in the Shallots and let them cook for about 7 minutes or so, stirring regularly until they’ve browned and have become caramelized.
Once all the sautéing is done, place the Shallots next to the Bacon, Mushrooms, and Garlic and cover with foil. Now take that skillet and drain it of any grease, butter, fat, basically all liquids and set it back on the heat, but at a very low level. Make sure to also get rid of any blackened leftover burned bits.
By now the Wine should be good and reduced to half or less than half, so pour the boiling Wine mixture through a strainer and into another pot. Make sure to place those Wine soaked Veggies into a separate bowl and place the Wine filled pot back on the stove.
After the cleaned up and reduced Wine is back on the stove and boiling again, add the Stock Mixture to the Wine and reduce it all to a thick syrupy delicious Wine sauce. It needs to coat the back of a spoon thick and syrupy. At least a third or less of its current volume.
Meanwhile though, take that bowl of boiled Veggies and squeeze every ounce of juice you can out before carefully pouring them juices back into the bubbling Stock and Wine mixture.
It’s now Bread time and surprisingly the Bread is rather important. For this recipe you’ll need the Bread to be toasted on the outside but still soft on the inside so that the Bread doesn’t break apart when you pour the Sauce over everything. So, take some more Butter and drop into a skillet where it will melt as usual. Then place the Bread into the melted Butter and toast each side. Repeat this step for however many Bread slices you’re in need of toasting.
Lastly, while the Wine is finishing up its reduction, throw a tiny bit more butter into the skillet along with the Bacon, Mushrooms, Shallots, and Garlic over very low heat. Make sure to give it a good stir.
Let’s go ahead and say that everything is done: the Bread’s toasted, the Bacon and sides are warm, the Eggs are good and poached (I sometimes throw them in the boiling Wine sauce at the very end to give them a little warmth before serving), and the Sauce is thick and ready to be poured. That means it’s time to plate this gourmet beauty.
Take a Large Shallow bowl and place the toasted Bread in the center. Now carefully place a poached Egg on top of that. Then lay some of the Bacon/Mushrooms/Shallots/Garlic accoutrement all around the Bread. Lastly, pour that sweet savory Red Wine Sauce all over the Egg and Bread and please get ready for heaven. It’s nothing like anything you’ve ever had.
