French cuisine · Breakfast & Eggs

Œufs Meurette

Poached eggs on toasted white bread in a Burgundy red wine sauce with pearl onions and mushrooms.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 8 eggs
• 750ml red wine
• 200g pearl onions
• 250g button mushrooms
• 2 shallots
• 1 garlic clove
• 40g butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 4 slices rustic white bread
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Finely dice the shallots, peel the pearl onions, quarter the mushrooms and cut the white bread into finger-thick slices.
2. Melt half the butter in a wide pot, sweat the shallots and pearl onions for 5 min., then add the mushrooms and fry vigorously for 5 min. until browned.
3. Deglaze with the red wine, add the thyme and simmer uncovered for 20–25 min. to reduce by about a third, until the sauce is dark and glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
4. Knead the remaining butter with the flour, whisk in small flakes into the simmering sauce, let thicken for 3 min. and season with salt and pepper.
5. Bring 2L of water with the white wine vinegar to a simmer, stir a whirlpool with a spoon and poach the eggs one at a time for 3 min., until the white is set and the yolk still runny.
6. Toast the bread slices golden brown in a pan, rub with the cut garlic clove, top each with two eggs and pour over the hot sauce.