Go Back
–+ servings

Oeufs à la Couille d’Âne

Dinner
Soft poached eggs with runny yolks sitting in a glossy, wine-dark sauce of red wine, butter, sweet shallots, and crispy lardons. The eggs are delicate and just-set, whilst the sauce is rich and savoury with subtle sweetness, coating everything in that gorgeous burgundy gloss. Crispy croutons and grilled lard on top add crunch and salty richness.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients 

For the red wine sauce
  • 200 gr shallots
  • 500 ml red wine use something decent from Berry or Loire if possible
  • 200 gr vegetarian smoked lardons
  • 50 gr unsalted butter
  • 50 gr vegetable stock original recipe with beef stock
  • 1 l water
  • 2 tbsp blackcurrant liqueur a.k.a crème de cassis
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs thyme
For the poached eggs
  • 500 ml red wine
  • 8 eggs
For the croutons

Equipment

Instructions

  1. 1. Prepare the shallots
    Peel and finely mince the shallots. You want them quite small, they'll basically melt into the sauce later.
    The original Berry shallots are a cross between shallots and onions, so they're milder and sweeter than your standard shallot. If you can't find them (and you probably can't unless you're in Berry), regular shallots work perfectly well.
  2. 2. Start the sauce
    Melt the butter in your frying pan over medium heat. Chuck in the vegetarian smoked lardons and let them sizzle for a minute or two. Add the minced shallots and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until everything's soft and starting to caramelise. Don't rush this bit, you want the shallots properly sweet and golden. Takes about 10 minutes.
  3. 3. Build the wine sauce
    Strip the leaves off your thyme sprigs and add them to the pan along with the bay leaf. Pour in the 50cl of red wine and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let it bubble away until it's reduced by about half. You're concentrating all those wine flavours and getting rid of the harsh alcohol edge. Should take 8-10 minutes.
  4. 4. Add the blackcurrant liqueur
    Stir in the blackcurrant liqueur and let it cook for another few minutes. This adds a subtle sweetness that balances the wine's acidity. Berry's famous for its blackcurrant, so this isn't just showing off, it's regional logic.
  5. 5. Finish the sauce
    In a separate small pan, dissolve your vegetable stock in water. Bring it to a simmer, then pour it into your wine and shallot mixture. Let the whole thing reduce down until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. You want it glossy and rich, not watery. This takes another 10-15 minutes. Taste it and adjust seasoning, probably needs a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Keep it warm whilst you sort the eggs and garnish.
  6. 6. Prep the croutons
    Cut your bread into small cubes, about 1cm. Put them on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and give them a toss. Bake them at 180°C for about 5 minutes until the croutons are crisp and golden.
  7. 7. Poach the eggs
    Right, you've got two options here. The traditional Berry method poaches the eggs directly in red wine, which colours them anywhere from pale pink to deep burgundy and adds flavour. If you're thinking "that sounds mad," fair enough, there is an alternative.
    Traditional method (wine poaching):
    Bring your 50cl of red wine to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan, don't let it boil hard or the eggs will fall apart. Crack each egg into the simmering wine and poach for 2-3 minutes. The whites will set but stay tender, and they'll pick up varying amounts of wine colour depending on how long they're in there. Some might stay quite pale, others will turn a deeper burgundy, it all looks impressive. Use your slotted spoon to lift them out carefully.
    Standard method (water poaching):
    Bring a pan of water to a gentle simmer and add a splash of white wine vinegar. Create a gentle whirlpool with a spoon, then crack each egg into the centre. Poach for 3 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
  8. 8. Plate up
    Ladle the warm wine sauce into deep plates, you want a good pool of it. Place two poached eggs on top of the sauce in each bowl, and scatter the crispy croutons. If you're using parsley, sprinkle a bit over now.
    The whole point is the contrast: soft, wine-touched eggs against the rich, glossy sauce, with those crispy bits on top for texture.
    Serve immediately whilst everything's still warm and the yolks are runny.

Notes

  • Wine choice matters. Use something you'd actually drink, cheap cooking wine will make the sauce taste harsh and vinegary. A decent Loire or Rhône red works well. Doesn't need to be expensive, but it should be drinkable. Avoid anything too tannic or oaky.
  • Can't find échalotes-oignons? No one can outside Berry. Regular shallots work perfectly fine. If you want to get closer to the original milder sweetness, use a mix of shallots and a small red onion.
  • Vegetarian lardons work brilliantly here, but if you're not vegetarian, use smoked or unsmoked bacon lardons. The vegetarian ones from most supermarkets crisp up nicely and absorb the wine flavours well.
  • Timing the sauce. The reduction takes longer than you think. Don't rush it, a thin, watery sauce won't coat the eggs properly. You want it glossy and thick enough to cling to a spoon. If it gets too thick, add a splash of water or wine.
  • Poaching in batches. Unless you have a massive pan, poach the eggs in two batches of four. Keep the first batch warm in a low oven whilst you do the second lot.
  • The sauce can be made a few hours ahead and reheated gently. The eggs need to be done fresh, they go rubbery if you try to reheat them.
  • No blackcurrant liqueur? Use a good blackcurrant jam thinned with a tiny splash of water. Won't be quite the same, but it'll give you that hint of sweetness.
  • This is rich enough to be a main course, especially for brunch or lunch. Serve with a simple green salad dressed in vinaigrette to cut through the richness. You don't need much else.