Escoffier, the famous French chef, offers eight different preparations for cooking eggs en cocotte. From poaching eggs in Chambertin, a sauce based on a fine wine region of Burgundy, to poaching a la cocotte lorraine with bacon and gruyere cheese. The concept is easy to master and while a cocotte traditionally has a lid to help it steam, with fan-forced ovens, it is possible to steam the cocottes without a lid.
I have adapted the Chambertin recipe to use pinot noir splashed into a jus or gravy that you can purchase in the chilled meat section of most supermarkets. The different flavours of the jus will be set by the egg and will be the flavours that you taste. It is important to make sure the jus tastes delicious before it is placed in the ramekin. Sometimes I will add a splash of good quality balsamic vinegar as well as salt and pepper to adjust the flavour of the jus.
This recipe can easily be served as a quick dinner option on the nights that you don’t feel like cooking a lot. It’s nice and savoury and the eggs will give you a lift. If you are having a glass of wine with it, use a splash of the same wine for cooking. This way you will have the perfect match.
Ingredients
| 150 ml | Beef jus, meal (purchased from the supermarket) |
| 1 Tbsp | Pinot noir |
| 4 | Eggs (Main) |
Directions
- Heat the oven to 160C. Preheat the ramekins with boiling water (this will help the eggs cook) and boil a pot of water to use in the bain marie.
- Heat the jus in a pot until just simmering. Add the pinot noir, turn the heat off and check for seasoning as the sauce should taste good enough to eat.
- Fill the ramekins one third full (about 2 Tbsp) with the jus and red wine sauce.
- Crack one egg into each ramekin and over each ramekin with foil to make a lid.
- Place the ramekins in the baking tray. Pour in the boiling water around them so that the water sits about 15mm from the top of each ramekin. Place in the oven and steam for 10- 12 minutes.
- The eggs are done when the whites are glossy and almost set. The yolks should remain runny.
