Red Wine Poached Eggs
By: ItalyAbroad
Published: Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 9:56am

Ingredients




750 milliliters red wine
250 milliliters beef stock
1 sprig rosemary
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon light olive oil
150 grams pancetta, cubed or finely sliced
25 grams unsalted butter
2 banana shallots, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
150 grams baby button mushrooms
2 teaspoons plain flour
250 milliliters water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
8 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 loaf of crusty bread, to serve

Preparation

1 Pour three quarters of the wine and the stock into a saucepan and add the rosemary and the peppercorns. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and allow to reduce by two-thirds. Remove from the heat, then pass the liquid through a sieve and reserve. 2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the pancetta and cook for 3-4 minutes until crisp. Remove the pancetta from the pan, reserving the oil, and drain on kitchen paper. 3 Melt the butter into the pan with the oil, tip in the shallots and lightly fry for 2-3 minutes until softened but not coloured. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms, cooking for a further 1-2 minutes, then add the red wine vinegar. 4 Stir in the flour then slowly pour in the reduced wine mixture a little at a time, stirring all the time. Allow the mixture to come to the boil, then reduce to gentle simmer and allow to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a little more stock if the mixture becomes too thick. 5 Meanwhile heat the remaining wine and the water in a saucepan until simmering and poach the eggs two at a time. When they are cooked, place two eggs each in four warmed deep serving bowls and place in a low temperature oven to keep warm. 6 To serve, ladle the wine sauce over the eggs, divide the crispy pancetta between the four bowls and finish with a sprinkling of parsley. 7 Serve with crusty bread and a big green salad.