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The starter, Regional

Eggs in red wine sauce (oeufs en meurette)

Oeufs en meurette is a Burgundy starter of poached eggs topped with a reduced red wine sauce with bacon lardons, pearl onions, and mushrooms, served on garlic croutons. For 6 people, it takes 45 minutes of active work, the sauce and garnish are made the day before, and the eggs are poached right before guests arrive. Medium difficulty, about €2.30 per person, the key is reheating the sauce without boiling it so the yolks stay runny.

Poached eggs draped in a bold red wine sauce, with bacon, pearl onions, and garlic croutons, a Burgundy classic that always impresses.

Eggs in red wine sauce (oeufs en meurette)
For
6 people
Work
45 min
Total time
2 h
Prep
Prepared the day before
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.30
Calories per person
420 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

Meurette sauce is dark, rich red wine sauce, softened by a touch of sugar and thickened with beurre manié until it turns glossy and clings to the spoon. Bacon lardons, mushrooms, and pearl onions give it depth, while the garlic crouton adds the crunch this otherwise soft dish would be missing. It is a winter starter, generous and deeply flavored, that sets the tone for a rustic French meal.

Make it for a dinner with friends who love Burgundy cooking, a family meal in the heart of autumn, or a Sunday lunch where you want to impress without spending the whole day in the kitchen. It pairs naturally with a braised main course that follows, like a beef bourguignon or braised poultry, keeping the same rustic spirit from start to finish.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before 3 steps, 55 min
  2. The same day Nothing to do
  3. Before the guests arrive 2 steps, 25 min
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step

The day before, cook the bacon, onions, and mushrooms, reduce the wine into a sauce, thicken it with beurre manié, and refrigerate everything. On the day, there is nothing left to do until guests arrive except toast the garlic croutons and poach the eggs right before everyone walks in. At serving time, gently reheat the sauce without boiling it, warm the eggs for thirty seconds, then plate everything on the croutons.

The ingredients

6 people

Pantry

  • Burgundy red wine 50 cl
  • Flouroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • White vinegaroften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Eggs 12
  • Butter 40 g

Butcher

  • Bacon lardons 150 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Pearl onions 150 g
  • White mushrooms 150 g
  • Shallots 2
  • Garlic 1 cloves

Bakery

  • Baguette 1

Allergens Eggs, Gluten, Lactose

The recipe, moment by moment

The day beforeWhat's better after resting overnight in the fridge.

  1. Cook the bacon lardons, pearl onions, and mushrooms, then set them aside. 15 min

    Brown the pearl onions well, they bring a sweet note to the dish.

  2. Reduce the red wine with the shallots, sugar, salt, and pepper until it is reduced by half. 30 min

    A slow reduction gives you a glossy sauce.

  3. Thicken the sauce with butter worked into the flour, add the garnish, let it cool, then refrigerate. 10 min

    Whisk in the beurre manié a small piece at a time to avoid lumps.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Rub slices of baguette with garlic and toast them in the oven. 10 min

    Rub the garlic on the bread while it is still warm, it picks up the flavor faster.

  2. Poach the eggs in simmering vinegared water, then keep them in warm water. 15 min

    Crack each egg into a cup before sliding it into the water.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Reheat the sauce, warm the eggs for thirty seconds, then spoon the sauce over them on the croutons.

    Reheat the sauce without boiling it so the yolks do not set.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a red wine you would happily drink, its quality carries straight through to the reduced sauce.
  • For round, neat eggs, use very fresh eggs, the white stays tighter around the yolk during poaching.
  • If the sauce seems too thin when reheating, let it simmer gently a few more minutes rather than adding more beurre manié.

The variations

  • Swap the bacon lardons for smoked poultry lardons for a lighter but still flavorful version.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the lardons, double the mushrooms, and replace part of the wine with a rich vegetable stock.
  • To save time on the day, make the sauce and poach the eggs the day before, keep the poached eggs in cold water in the fridge, then reheat them thirty seconds in simmering water before serving.

What to serve it with

  • A beef bourguignon as the main course
  • A simple green salad after the starter
  • A glass of the same red wine used in the sauce

Storage

The sauce and garnish keep 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. The poached eggs keep one day in cold water in the fridge. Freezing is not recommended, the beurre manié sauce loses its texture once thawed.

Questions about this recipe

How do you poach eggs without them falling apart in the water?

Use very fresh eggs and water that is barely simmering with a splash of white vinegar added. Crack each egg into a cup first, then slide it gently into the water, this keeps it from breaking apart on impact.

Can you use a different red wine instead of Burgundy?

Yes, another tannic, fairly full bodied red wine works well for this sauce. Just avoid very fruity or light wines, the sauce would lack character once reduced.

How do you plate oeufs en meurette for a dinner with friends?

Place a garlic crouton in each shallow bowl, set the warm poached egg on top, then spoon over plenty of hot sauce with the garnish. A few sprigs of chives or parsley add color if you have some on hand.

Is this dish suitable for kids?

This starter leans toward adults because of the reduced wine in the sauce and its fairly bold flavor. For kids, you can serve the poached egg plain with a bit of the garnish and skip the sauce.

Can oeufs en meurette, poached eggs in red wine sauce be made ahead?

Yes, it's even recommended. The recipe needs 45 min of work in total, split up like this, the day before, 3 steps, before the guests arrive, 2 steps, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make oeufs en meurette, poached eggs in red wine sauce?

Allow 2 h in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 45 min is actual work. The recipe is rated "medium".

How many calories are in oeufs en meurette, poached eggs in red wine sauce?

About 420 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does oeufs en meurette, poached eggs in red wine sauce cost?

About €2.30 per person, that's €13.80 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, gluten, lactose. Remember to ask your guests about their allergies before putting your menu together.

To round out your menu

Build a menu
Walnut cake The dessert

Regional

Walnut cake

  • 25 min of work
  • Prepared the day before
  • Easy, €1.10 per person

430 kcalcalculated by Kiloach

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