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Oeufs en meurette (poached eggs in red wine sauce)

Oeufs en meurette (poached eggs in red wine sauce)

Wine to try
2009 Lucien Muzard Bourgogne Rouge, Burgundy (France), A$37
Eggs in red wine, so logically it’s paired with a red, specifically a pinot noir, be it an Australian or the real thing from Burgundy. The Burgundian offerings are plentiful and affordable with a rash of 2009 Bourgogne Rouge leading the way. 2009 was a highly successful season and, while some argue the top wines are not ‘classic’ but marked by the warm vintage, the lesser Burgundies are simply delicious. Producers such as François Labet, Bachelet Monnot, Bernard Moreau, Vincent Girardin, Sylvie Esmonin and Marchand & Burch are some favourites. Act now, with prices similar to decent Australian pinots (and cheaper than most New Zealand offerings) they won’t last long.

Oeufs en meurette (poached eggs in red wine sauce)

Serves 4
2 tbsp   unsalted butter
150g   streaky bacon, thinly sliced
1   medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
6   shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2   cloves garlic, 1 peeled and left whole, the other peeled and thinly sliced
1   bouquet garni (bay leaves, thyme, celery stick, parsley) tied with string
1   bottle pinot noir (preferably Burgundian)
100ml   chicken stock
1 tbsp   red-wine vinegar
8   large eggs
2   tablespoons distilled white vinegar
8   slices baguette
To serve:   2 tbsp chives, finely chopped


1 Heat half the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add bacon and sauté for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to kitchen paper and set aside.
2 Add remaining butter to saucepan over medium heat, add onion, shallots and sliced garlic clove and sauté for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add bouquet garni and red wine and season with freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil over a high heat then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until wine has reduced by about half. Strain through a sieve into another pan and discard the solids. Add stock and red-wine vinegar, turn heat up to high and bring to the boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until mixture has reduced by half.
3 Meanwhile, poach eggs in a separate saucepan of boiling water and white vinegar. When cooked, carefully add the poached eggs and bacon to the red wine sauce and cook over low heat for a few minutes.
4 Meanwhile, rub baguette slices with the whole garlic clove and grill until toasted.
5 Place 2 slices of baguette per person on a plate, top with two poached eggs, spoon some red wine sauce over the eggs and top with bacon. Drizzle with any remaining sauce then sprinkle chopped chives over each portion and serve immediately.

This recipe is from the June/July 2012 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE.

RECIPE Andy Harris PHOTOGRAPHY William Meppem STYLING Hannah Meppem & Sabine Schmitz DRINK SUGGESTION Peter Bourne


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