Serves4
- Active time:45 min
- Start to finish:1 1/4 hr
March 2008
Two grand bistro classics meet here: the frisée aux lardons
salad with a poached egg, and oeufs en meurette
(poached eggs in a red-wine sauce). Frisée, with its slightly bitter flavor and sturdy but delicate texture, stands up beautifully to the rich, concentrated sauce and the warm poached egg.
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For sauce
-
1/2
cup
chopped shallots
-
1 1/2
tablespoons
unsalted butter, divided
-
1
teaspoon
tomato paste
-
1
(750-ml) bottle dry red wine
-
2
garlic cloves, chopped
-
4
thyme sprigs
-
1
large parsley sprig
-
1
Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
-
1
(1/4-lb) piece slab bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch sticks (lardons)
-
2/3
cup
veal demi-glace (see shopping list, below) or 2 tablespoons demi-glace concentrate plus 1/2 cup water
-
1/2
tablespoon
all-purpose flour
For eggs and toasts
-
8
(1/2-inch-thick) baguette slices
-
1
tablespoon
olive oil
-
1
garlic clove, halved
-
1
teaspoon
distilled white vinegar
-
8
large eggs
For salad
-
1/2
lb
frisée, trimmed and torn into pieces (4 cups)
-
1
teaspoon
distilled white vinegar
-
2
teaspoons
olive oil
Make sauce:
-
Cook shallots in 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and boil until reduced to about 1 cup, 25 to 40 minutes.
-
Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
-
Meanwhile, cook lardons in a small heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned but not crisp. Drain on paper towels.
-
Strain wine mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Return to saucepan, then stir in veal demi-glace and bring to a simmer.
-
Strain wine mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Return to saucepan, then stir in veal demi-glace and bring to a simmer.
-
Stir together flour and remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to make a beurre manié, then whisk into sauce and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Add half of lardons to sauce and keep warm off heat, covered.
-
Wrap remaining lardons in foil and keep warm on rack in lower third of oven.
Cook eggs and toasts:
-
Brush baguette slices with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Toast in upper third of oven until pale golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Rub garlic on toasts.
-
Meanwhile, fill a deep large skillet with 11/4 inches water, then add vinegar and bring to a simmer. Break 1 egg into a cup and slide egg into water. Repeat with remaining eggs, spacing them apart, and poach at a bare simmer until whites are firm but yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes.
Make salad while eggs poach:
Cooks’ note: Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered (once cool).
Shopping list: Veal demi-glace is available at specialty foods shops and Citarella (212-874-0383).