Poached Eggs in Red Wine Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 Tbs. Butter
1/4 lb. Bacon; Coarsely Chopped
1/2 lb. Mushrooms; Sliced
1 Large Shallot; Peeled and Minced
1 Carrot; Peeled and Coarsely Chopped
1 Sprig Fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
5 1/4 cups Red Burgundy or other Dry Wine
1 cup Demi-Glaze
1 3/4 cups Beef Stock
2 tsp. Flour
8 Eggs
Salt and Pepper
4 Slices Bread
4 Sprigs Parsley or Chervil

Melt 1 Tbs. butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until crisp, approximately 8-10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel to remove grease and set aside. Add mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until golden. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.

In the same skillet melt 1 Tbs. butter. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally for about 1-minute. Stir in carrots, thyme and bay leaf and cook until the carrots begin to brown, approximately 8 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and add 2 cups wine. Cook to reduce by three-quarters, almost 25-minutes. Add demi-glaze and stock. Cook, skimming frequently for 10-minutes. Remove skillet from heat, strain sauce through a fine sieve into a small sauce pan. Combine flour and remaining butter in a small bowl, forming a paste. Whisk paste into sauce a little at a time, then simmer over medium-low heat for 2-minutes. Reduce heat to low and keep sauce warm.

Place remaining wine in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Poach eggs two at a time by cracking each egg into a saucer, then carefully slipping into the wine. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat process with remaining eggs.

Add bacon and mushrooms to sauce and season to taste with salt and paper. Divide break between 4 plates, place two eggs on each piece, spoon over sauce and garnish. Serve immediately.

Kitchen Staff Tip: The Perfect Poached Egg comes from the refrigerator. Keep your eggs refrigerated until poaching time and they will stay together better. Don't worry about poaching the eggs in wine, they will discolor. Simply cover the eggs with sauce and none is the wiser.