Un déjeuner intime

I always think it is a practical idea to serve poached eggs to an intimate group of not more than four or five friends or family members who can appreciate their delicacy and the time spent carefully cooking them. The meurette sauce for the eggs in this menu is one often used for fish as well, and is a kind of stewed mirepoix à la bourguignonne – a base of aromatic vegetables concentrated with red wine. The eggs themselves are also poached in the red wine, which later becomes part of the reduction, and are served on crisp toasted bread with the dark wine sauce poured over.