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Oeufs a la Bourguignonne
[Eggs Poached in Red Wine]
This is a good dish for a light supper or a winter luncheon, and can be made more important if it is garnished with sautéed chicken livers or braised onions, and sautéed or broiled mushrooms. Accompany it with a light red Burgundy or Beaujolais. Traditionally the eggs are poached in the wine, but they may be done in water in the usual way, if you wish.
For 8 servings
2 cups of brown stock or canned beef bouillon
2 cups good, young red wine
An 8-inch saucepan
8 very fresh eggs
1/2 bay leaf tied with 2 or
3 parsley sprigs
1/4 tsp thyme
1 clove mashed garlic
1 Tb minced shallot or green onion
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of pepper
1/2 Tb softened butter
Tb flour
Optional: 1 Tb red currant jelly
1 to 2 Tb softened butter
Bring the stock and wine to the simmer and poach the eggs in it. Remove the eggs to a fireproof dish, add 1/16 inch of poaching liquid, and set aside. About 5 minutes before serving, set the dish uncovered over simmering water to reheat the eggs.
After poaching the eggs, add the herbs, garlic, shallot or onion, and seasonings to the wine and boil it down rapidly until it has reduced to 2 cups. Remove parsley and bay leaf.
Blend the butter and flour to a smooth paste—beurre manié. Off heat, beat it into the wine mixture with a wire whip. Boil for 30 seconds. Beat in the optional currant jelly for color and flavor, and correct seasoning.
( * ) If not to be used immediately, set aside uncovered, top dotted with part of the enrichment butter.
Just before serving, reheat the sauce to the simmer.
8 canapés (ovals of white bread sautéed in clarified butter, page 199. They may be rubbed with a cut Off heat, beat in the butter.
Place a hot egg on each canapé and arrange on a platter or serving plates. Surround with whatever garniture you may have chosen, and spoon the hot sauce over. Decorate with parsley, and serve.
