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Oeufs à la Couille d’Âne

Soft poached eggs with runny yolks sitting in a glossy, wine-dark sauce of red wine, butter and sweet shallots. Rich, savoury, and slightly sharp from the wine. To top it off, crispy croutons and grilled vegetarian lardons for crunch and salt against the silky sauce!
Oeufs a la couille d'ane recipe
Prep15 minutes
Cook30 minutes
Total45 minutes
Servings4
DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

  • 8 eggs very fresh
  • 750 ml red wine use something decent from Berry or Loire if possible
  • 150 gr vegetarian smoked lardons
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 30 gr unsalted butter
  • 1 bouquet garni
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • salt and black pepper

For the beurre manié

To serve

  • 4 slices bread thick country bread
  • 1 clove garlic halved

Equipment

Instructions

Build the base

  • Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Crisp the lardons for 4 to 5 minutes, then set aside half. Add the onion, shallots and garlic to the pan and soften for 6 to 8 minutes without colouring.

Add the wine

  • Pour in the red wine, add the bouquet garni and sugar, season lightly, and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer 10 minutes to let it reduce a little and lose the raw alcohol.

Poach the eggs

  • Lower to a bare, trembling simmer. Crack each egg into a cup and slide it gently into the wine. Poach 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft. Lift out with a slotted spoon and keep warm. They'll be stained deep purple.

Thicken the sauce

  • Remove the bouquet garni. Turn up the heat and reduce the wine by a third, until rich. Mash the softened butter and flour together and whisk it in bit by bit until the sauce coats a spoon. Taste and season. Return the reserved lardons.

Serve

  • Toast the bread and rub with the cut garlic. Set a slice in each shallow bowl, top with 2 poached eggs, and spoon over the hot red wine sauce and lardons. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Freshest eggs hold together best when poached, even more so in wine.
  • Bare simmer only, or the eggs break up.
  • Purple eggs are correct, that's the wine, and the whole character of the dish.
  • Use wine you'd drink; it's the main flavour and it concentrates as it reduces.
  • Make the sauce base a day ahead; poach the eggs fresh to serve.
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