FOOD | Julianne Glatz
Americans primarily think of eggs as something appropriate for breakfast and, on weekends, brunch. That’s changed a bit recently: fried or sunny-side-up eggs have been showing up as burger, steak, pizza toppings and more. Even though egg-topped dishes are sometimes overdone by chefs seizing on the trend by putting an egg on top of almost anything, they’re almost always an addition that reawakens us to eggs’ delectability after years of shunning them, having been mislead into thinking they’re unhealthy.
Elsewhere around the world, eggs can be the focal point of any meal. They’re inexpensive, available, nutritious and delicious. They cook quickly, making such things as omelets and skillet frittatas good for mid-week suppers. Equally valuable to hurried or harried cooks is their ability to utilize small quantities of leftovers.
Eggs also star in sophisticated supper dishes, none more so than the one below. Though it doesn’t take days or hours, its initial preparation will never win an award for “quick and easy.” But making additional sauce to freeze takes just a bit more time and can truly provide meals in mere minutes.
Beef Burgundy (Boeuf bourguignon) and Coq au vin are two of the most traditional and famous dishes of French country/home cooking. They are close cousins; essentially stews incorporating a sauce of red (Burgundy) wine and stock; other traditional ingredients include pearl onions, mushrooms and bacon.
Beef Burgundy and Coq au vin have another close cousin less well known outside of France: Oeufs en meurette, aka eggs in red wine sauce. It’s also a “grand classic,” essentially the same glorious sauce with poached eggs substituted for meat. I’ve eaten and made all three. For my money, oeufs en meurette is at least as delectable and, not infrequently, better than its beef and chicken counterparts.
I’m not going to lie: this isn’t a recipe that can be made in minutes. But the most timeconsuming part is blanching and peeling the pearl onions; sliced onions, though not traditional, work well. Additionally, the sauce freezes well. The poaching takes just minutes; all the real work is in the sauce. Since it takes just a bit more work to make a double recipe, or if you are cooking for just one or two and make a single batch, extra sauce is easily frozen in portion-appropriate containers for meals that can be made in under half an hour. Some versions poach the eggs separately and/or serve them on croutons surrounded by the sauce, but my preference (and not just because it’s easier) is to simmer the eggs in the finished sauce, then serve them with rustic bread, fresh or toasted, alongside to mop up the eggs and delectable “gravy.”
A vegetarian version can be made by using vegetable stock and eliminating the bacon. I also like to use this method to make a quick and delicious meal of poached eggs in leftover/ excess sauce from other stews, minestrone or hearty soups.
Oeufs en meurette, eggs in red wine sauce
• 8 fresh eggs
• 1 bottle fruity red wine, preferably a lightbodied pinot noir
• 2 c. beef, chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 c. onion, not super-sweet, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 tsp. chopped garlic, or more or less to taste
• An herb bundle of fresh thyme sprigs, parsley stems and a bay leaf bound together with cotton string or thread
• 1 tsp. whole, black peppercorns
• 1/4 lb. slab or thick-cut bacon, diced
• 3 T. unsalted butter, divided
• 1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced or quartered
• 16 to 20 baby onions or 2 c. lightly packed, thinly sliced onion, not super-sweet
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Combine the wine, stock, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, herb bundle and peppercorns in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the mixture is reduced by about half, about 20–25 minutes.
While the wine mixture is simmering, put the diced bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat and sauté until it is crispy and brown. Drain on paper towels and reserve in a bowl. Put a tablespoon of the butter in the skillet, add the mushrooms and stir-fry them until lightly browned; add to the bowl with the bacon. Reserve the bacon fat and butter in the skillet.
If using pearl onions: Put the unpeeled onions in a saucepan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, slip off their skins and trim the root end, leaving enough of the stem end so that they won’t fall apart with additional cooking. Add them to the skillet over medium-high heat and sauté, stirring frequently until browned and tender.
If using sliced onions: Put the skillet with the bacon fat and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, stir to coat with the fat, then cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Uncover the pan, and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are unctuous and slightly caramelized. Drain off any excess fat and add the mushrooms and bacon to the skillet.
Strain the wine mixture through a sieve into the skillet, pressing on the vegetables and herb bundle to get as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.
On a plate, mash together the remaining two tablespoons butter with the flour into a paste (aka beurre manié).
Return the skillet to the stove over mediumhigh heat. When it begins to simmer, whisk in bits of the paste, a few at a time, until it has all been added and the sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Place the eggs evenly around the skillet into the simmering sauce, quickly making a depression with a large spoon before adding each egg in place. The eggs can be cracked directly into the skillet, but a more foolproof method is to crack them into individual containers (coffee cups or individual ramekins work well) before adding them to the sauce. Not only will all the eggs be added with less time between each, it also prevents hassles such as bits of shell getting into the eggs, or a yolk breaking.
Once the eggs are positioned in the simmering sauce, cover the skillet and let the eggs poach until the whites are cooked through and the yolks are still liquid, or to your desired degree of done-ness.
Serve immediately in shallow soup bowls or deep-rimmed plates, accompanied by fresh or toasted rustic bread.
Serves 4-8.
Contact Julianne Glatz at [email protected].
