Oeufs en meurette is a classic French dish consisting of poached eggs served in a rich, flavorful sauce made with red wine, shallots, bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions. It is a hearty and comforting dish that is perfect for a special occasion or a weekend brunch. The origins of œufs en meurette are unclear, but it is thought to have originated in the Burgundy region of France. The dish is typically served with a side of crusty bread or toast to soak up the delicious sauce.
Let's cook with our recipes!
POACHED EGGS IN RED WINE (OEUFS EN MEURETTE)
Oeufs en meurette is a classic French dish of poached eggs covered in a rich red wine sauce filled with lardons, mushrooms and onion. When the writer Michael Harlan Turkell was working on his book "Acid Trip: Travels in the World of Vinegar," he picked up a tip from the French chef Bertrand Auboyneau of Bistrot Paul Bert in Paris. A generous amount of red wine vinegar, added to the sauce, lightens and brightens the dish, all the while emphasizing the flavors of red wine. Use the best-tasting vinegar you can get your hands on, since there's enough of it here to really redirect the taste of the sauce. To turn the recipe into a full, hearty meal, just poach two eggs for each person, instead of one, and add a side of simply dressed salad greens.
Provided by Tejal Rao
Categories breakfast, brunch, dinner, lunch, main course
Time 2h
Yield 4 Servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Add the bacon to a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it's cooked through and browning slightly at the edges, about 6 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. If a lot of fat has rendered in the pan, pour some out, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until the water from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until it no longer smells raw, about 2 minutes. Add red wine, sugar and thyme. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by a third. Add red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup water and simmer on low until the sauce has reduced by another third, about 20 minutes. The sauce should taste bright and tangy.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. When hot, gently fry the bread on both sides until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. (If the pan is small and you're working in batches, add more oil to the pan as needed.) Cut the bread into strips, lightly season with salt and set aside on a paper towel.
- Fill a deep saucepan with enough water to completely cover an egg. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so the water is at a gentle simmer. Working with one egg at a time, break the eggs into a ramekin and gently slide them into the water, using a spoon to direct their shape in the water. Poach for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft and runny.
- Fill 4 ramekins with the mushrooms, onions and red wine sauce. Add a poached egg to each, sprinkle the bacon and parsley (if using) over the top and serve the fried bread on the side. Top the eggs with freshly ground black pepper.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 568, UnsaturatedFat 21 grams, Carbohydrate 29 grams, Fat 30 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 14 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 915 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams, TransFat 0 grams
OEUFS EN MEURETTE
Poached eggs in a red wine sauce - you can make most of this dish ahead, then assemble before serving
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Dinner, Main course, Starter
Time 1h30m
Yield Serves 4 as an appetiser, 2 as a main course
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- For the sauce, put the wine and stock in a large saucepan and bring to a vigorous boil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bouquet garni and peppercorns and boil until reduced by half (15-20 minutes). Strain the wine, pressing the vegetables to extract all the liquid, then set aside.
- While the wine is reducing, melt a quarter of the butter in a saucepan, add the bacon and fry until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Sauté the mushrooms in with another quarter of the butter until tender (2-3 minutes). Remove and put with the bacon. In the same pan, gently sauté the onions for 10-15 minutes until crisp and tender, shaking the pan often so they colour evenly. Drain off the fat, return the mushrooms and bacon to the pan and set aside.
- Make the croûtes: using a round or oval cutter, cut the bread into 4 shapes just larger than a poached egg. Heat 5 mm/1⁄4in of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the bread croûtes in batches until brown on both sides (1-2 minutes per side). Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
- To thicken the sauce, crush the remaining 15g/1⁄2oz butter on a plate with a fork and work in the flour to form a soft paste - French cooks call this beurre manié. Bring the wine mixture to a boil and whisk in the kneaded butter a piece at a time, until the sauce becomes thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon (you may not need all the kneaded butter). Strain the sauce into the pan with the bacon, mushrooms and onions. Bring to a boil, taste and adjust seasoning, adding a piece of chocolate if you like.
- To finish the dish, reheat the sauce on the stove, and warm the croûtes in the oven. Bring the vinegar and 1.2 litres/2 pints of water to the boil in a large shallow pan. Break the eggs, one at a time, into the places where the liquid is bubbling, so the bubbles spin the eggs. Lower the heat and poach the eggs for 3-4 minutes, until the yolks are fairly firm but still soft to the touch. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and drain on kitchen paper. Trim off the stringy edges with scissors. Place the croûtes on warm serving plates, set an egg on each croûte and spoon over the sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 397 calories, Fat 25 grams fat, SaturatedFat 8 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 15 grams carbohydrates, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 14 grams protein, Sodium 1.67 milligram of sodium
POACHED EGGS IN A RED WINE SAUCE
Steps:
- 1. To poach the eggs, bring the wine and stock to a vigorous boil in a large shallow pan. Break four eggs, one by one, into the places where the liquid is bubbling so the bubbles spin the eggs. Lower the heat and poach the eggs for 3 to 4 minutes until the yolks are fairly firm but still soft to the touch. Lift out the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Poach the remaining eggs in the same way. Trim off the stringy edges with scissors and set the eggs aside. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bouquet garni, and peppercorns to the poaching liquid and simmer until it is concentrated and reduced by half, 20 to 25 minutes.
- 2. Meanwhile, cook the garnish, melt half the butter in a medium saucepan, add the mushrooms, and sauté until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms, add bacon with the remaining butter, and fry until brown. Lift out the bacon and drain it on paper towels. Add the baby onions and sauté them gently until brown and tender, shaking the pan often so they color evenly, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain off all the fat, replace the mushrooms and bacon, and set the pan aside.
- 3. Make the croûtes, using a round or oval cutter, and cut the bread into 8 shapes just larger than a poached egg. Heat 1/4 inch (6 mm) of oil in a frying pan, over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the croûtes until browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Set the croûtes aside.
- 4. To thicken the sauce, crush the butter on a plate with a fork and work in the flour to form a soft paste. Whisk this kneaded butter, a piece at a time, into the simmering wine mixture until the mixture becomes thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. Strain the sauce over the garnish of mushrooms, baby onions, and bacon, pressing on the carrot, onion, and celery to extract all the liquid and flavor. Bring the sauce to a boil, taste, and adjust the seasoning.
- 5. To prepare ahead, poach the eggs up to a day in advance, keeping them in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator. Store the sauce and garnish also in the refrigerator. The croûtes will be fine if kept tightly wrapped, then warmed in a low oven.
- 6. To serve, reheat the eggs by immersing them in hot water for 1 minute. If necessary, reheat the garnish and sauce on top of the stove, and warm croûtes in the oven. Set the croûtes on warm serving plates. Drain the eggs on paper towels, set one on each croûte, and spoon over the sauce and garnish.
- Variation: Poached Eggs in White Wine Sauce
- Oeufs au Meursault
- A full-bodied chardonnay from California's Monterey peninsula or, to be somewhat extravagant, a meursault from Burgundy's Côte de Beaune is the sort of wine required here, particularly if you want to savor it at the table as well. If the wine is too dry and thin, the sauce will be acidic.
- Simply follow the recipe for Poached Eggs in Red Wine Sauce, substituting white for red wine. Just before serving, stir 3 to 4 tablespoons of crème fraîche or heavy cream into the sauce.
OEUFS EN MEURETTE
Steps:
- Melt half the butter in a deep frying pan and add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic, sautéing for 5 minutes until the vegetables start to colour. Add all other sauce ingredients (except the flour and residual butter) and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and leave on a gentle simmer for 40 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into another pan, pressing the vegetables to extract all the flavour. While the sauce is simmering, heat half the butter for the garnish in a small pan over a medium-high flame. Add the shallots and sugar, cooking until golden. Add the stock, pop on a lid and simmer for 10 minutes, until tender. Lift off the lid and turn up the heat slightly to reduce the liquid, leaving the shallots nicely glazed. Set aside and keep warm. In a separate pan fry the bacon on a medium heat with the remaining butter until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and fry until tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside and keep warm. When ready to serve, bring a large shallow pan of water (about 5cm/2 inches deep) to the boil. Reduce the boiling water to a simmer and add the vinegar and 1/2 tsp of salt. Give the water a quick stir then carefully break an egg into the centre of the swirling water. Leave to poach gently for 3 minute then lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towels. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs. At the same time, bring the sauce back to a simmer. Mix the remaining 1 tbsp butter and flour together with a spoon then add the mixture to the sauce. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken and cook out the flour. In a frying pan, fry your slices of sourdough with a little olive oil for a couple of minutes each side (alternatively, you can just toast them). To serve, place a piece of sourdough on a plate and top with two eggs (or one if you're serving 4). Scatter over the shallots, mushrooms and bacon then spoon over 3-4 spoonfuls of sauce. Eat at once, preferably alongside a nice glass of red burgundy.
Tips:
- Use fresh eggs. Fresh eggs will have a brighter orange yolk and a firmer white, which will result in a better-tasting dish.
- Choose a good quality red wine. The wine you use will have a big impact on the flavor of the dish, so choose a wine that you enjoy drinking. A Burgundy or a Pinot Noir are good choices.
- Don't overcook the eggs. The eggs should be cooked until they are just set, but not hard-boiled. Overcooked eggs will be tough and rubbery.
- Serve immediately. Oeufs en meurette is best served immediately after it is made. The eggs will start to toughen up if they sit for too long.
Conclusion:
Oeufs en meurette is a classic French dish that is easy to make and delicious to eat. It is a perfect dish for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. With its rich, flavorful sauce and perfectly cooked eggs, oeufs en meurette is sure to please everyone at the table.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love