Oeufs en Meurette

• Mise en place
  

Poached Eggs

• Poaching an egg in red wine gives your egg a brilliant reddish-purple tone. For some folks though, it may look unappetizing. Poach eggs in simmering water with a splash of white vinegar otherwise. In a deep and rather narrow saucepan, bring wine to a boil and ignite. Burning alcohol off leaves behind the subtle flavor of the liquor without the lingering flavor of alcohol. Meanwhile crack eggs and reserve each egg in separate deli container. Lower the heat to a gentle, rolling boil. Stir the simmering wine to create a vortex in the saucepan. Carefully drop the egg (3 eggs max) in center of vortex and cook 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove egg and plunge in cold water. Reserve poached eggs in water in the refrigerator. Use small kitchen scissors to trim off the stringy parts of the egg white if needed. If poaching eggs in water, follow the same protocol. Sieve red wine and save it for the sauce.
  

Meurette Sauce

• Immerse mushrooms in water for about a minute and transfer them over paper towels. Cut the carrots root end off and peel it. Slice the carrot into 4 quarters. Trim off mushroom base and cut into 4. Chop onion. In a saucepan, add butter and bacon and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Take some of the cooked bacon out and reserve for the plating. Add onions, carrots, mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring every so often. With a microplane, grate garlic and ginger over the mixture and cook until fragrant. Add sugar and then the flour – cook for an additional minute. Add wine, demi-glace, bay leaf and thyme. Bring the sauce to a boil then lower the heat to simmer and reduce by two-third; it should take an hour. Pass sauce through a sieve and readjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Save solids for plating.
  

Parsley Chips

• Cover and stretch out a piece of plastic wrap over a plate and grease with oil. Arrange some parsley leaves and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 2 minutes. Store dry parsley in a sealed container.
  

Toasted Bread

• Cut bread into thin slices and toast. Peel a garlic clove and gently rub over the toasted bread and brush with olive oil.
  

Plating

• Arrange some veggies from the sauce in center of a shallow plate or bowl. Pour some of the hot sauce. Add some of the saved bacon. Reheat egg in boiling water for 30 sec and place on top. Garnish with toasted bread and parsley leaves. Serve immediately.
  

Storage

• Poached eggs can be made daily and kept refrigerated in water. The sauce can be made in advance and drained. Reserve in the refrigerator in serving containers for up to 3 days. The bacon, onions and carrots shall be prepared daily and served to order.