Oeufs en Meurette – Eggs Poached in Red Wine Sauce
This is a classic Burgundian dish of eggs poached in red wine sauce, or Oeufs en Meurette, and it’s quite possibly the most delicious way to enjoy poached eggs. The dish originates from Burgundy, where hearty comfort food and rich sauces reign supreme.
An aromatic Burgundy red wine sauce is slowly reduced and poured over soft poached eggs, which rest on crisp fried sourdough toast. Mushrooms, pearl onions, and smoky bacon braised in butter and wine add incredible depth, making this one of the most iconic French bistro recipes.
This is quite a “cheffy” dish, but every step is worth it. It’s also a great opportunity to practice poaching eggs. While many recipes poach the eggs in water (done at the last minute for perfect texture), I prefer to poach them in the wine and stock itself. This allows the eggs to absorb some flavour, and they can be reheated just before serving, reducing stress at the table. Although the colour isn’t as appealing, the flavour makes up for it.
- 1 bottle 750 ml / 3 cups good-quality red wine
- 500 ml 2 cups beef stock
- 8 large free-range eggs as fresh as possible
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot thinly sliced
- 1 stalk of celery sliced
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 bouquet garni parsley, sage, thyme – rosemary works too
- ½ tsp peppercorns
- 30 grams salted butter to emulsify into the sauce at the end
- 8 slices sourdough bread halve 4 slices if very large
- Butter for frying
- 1 fresh garlic clove to rub on the toasts
- 30 grams butter
- 200 grams button mushrooms trimmed and quartered
- 250 grams streaky bacon 4 slices fried whole, remainder cut into lardons
- 330 grams pearl onions peeled and left whole