Eggs Poached in Red Wine

Name: Eggs Poached in Red Wine
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients: Extra virgin olive oil as needed; 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed; 4 thick slices day-old good bread; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 cups fruity red wine, like a young Brunello, pinot noir, or Chianti; 4 eggs, removed from the shell; Grated pecorino or other hard cheese for garnish; Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

By Mark Bittman

Total Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 4(283)
Comments: Read comments

This 2006 recipe from Mark Bittman takes that workhorse of the kitchen — the egg — and makes it a bit more glamorous. By cooking the eggs in simmering red wine, they become something even greater, worthy of a simple, but still indulgent, dinner.

Featured in: Eggs Take Their Place at the Dinner Table

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

Extra virgin olive oil as needed
2cloves garlic, lightly crushed
4thick slices day-old good bread
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2cups fruity red wine, like a young Brunello, pinot noir, or Chianti
4eggs, removed from the shell
Grated pecorino or other hard cheese for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Put 3 or 4 tablespoons oil in a large skillet and turn heat to medium. Add garlic and cook, turning occasionally, until it just begins to color. Lower heat a bit and add bread; sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper. Cook, turning once or twice, until bread is crusty and golden.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat wine in a saucepan, preferably one with sloping sides; add some salt. When wine boils, reduce heat to a low simmer. Carefully slip eggs in and cook, spooning wine over them, until whites are barely firm.
Step 3
Scoop eggs into 2 or 4 bowls, along with some wine. Add a piece or two of bread to each bowl, garnish with cheese and parsley, and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5

283 user ratings

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Comments

Mark Chassy7 years ago

Better yet ... using gravy from ... boeuf bourgignon, coq au vin ... basically anything that you cooked which has a nice wine based sauce. This is really about knowing how to use up perfectly good leftovers.

CityGnome7 years ago

This was so incredibly easy and in about 20minutes prep to plate, it was both earthy and rich. I made this because it was crafted by Mark Bittman & he did not leave me wanting to change or alter it at all.

maeve7 years ago

From Sam Sifton: Let the wine cook down quite a bit before sliding the eggs into it, and add some pats of butter to help increase the silkiness of the sauce. Add mushrooms?

Becca4 years ago

We tried this recipe the other night. It turned out terribly. Not sure where our failure was...although we find poaching eggs hard (don't judge us too harshly). We used a pretty low end bottle of cabernet, simmered with rosemary and oregano, and the dish just came out bitter. Was our mistake the cheap wine?

Nicolas Jaimes4 years ago

Looked odd and tasted subpar. I would not recommend this recipe as-is, it's simply underwhelming. The fried bread tasted good on its own, but didn't connect with the eggs or wine. Probably depends on what wine you use, but mine tasted sour. The title says "easy", but this is definitely an advanced recipe.

Scott4 years ago

Used what I thought was a nice Pinot Noir, afterward realized it was actually a cheap Cab Sav. The result is a dish I would not recommend anyone consume expecting a particularly pleasant experience.

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