Poached Eggs In White Wine #FOODGOALS

One of my philosophies on cooking, and eating, for that matter is simply "to put an egg on it." Got leftovers? Chances are you can reheat them and "put an egg on it." Cooking something and want it to be more satisfying, "put an egg on it." Haven't been to the store and don't have much to eat, bet you can find something to "put an egg on."

Eggs are a staple for me because they are delicious, keep well, and go with so many flavors. They are easily one of my top five foods and for that reason my New Year's #FOODGOALS include lots of eggs. Another one of my #FOODGOALS is to use the very best ingredients I can find and prepare them simply. I've noticed lately that it's the simple recipes we love the most and return to again and again. The ones with the really good ingredients topped with a simple sauce, a colorful salsa, or a flourish of herbs, for instance.

This dish, Heidi's Poached Eggs In White Wine, meets all of my current #FOODGOALS. Plus, it brings to light the question, "why not poach eggs in all sorts of liquids?". Why stop at water, or white wine, or tomato sauce? A fun challenge for this egg lover.

I chose a dry Chardonnay, one that I wouldn't mind drinking on it's own. I combined it with the shallots, water, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and boiled the mixture down a bit. I slid the eggs in and watched them as they started to turn opaque, before putting the lid on. I was most excited about the prospect of a white wine sauce, so once the eggs were cooked through I relished the thought of adding the butter and flour and watching the sauce to come life.  A crisp piece of toast, some sliced avocado, my freshly poached egg, topped by a glorious white wine sauce...now that is a breakfast fit for a queen!

Poached Eggs In White Wine

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

by Heidi Swanson

Serves 2-4

1 cup dry white wine*

1 cup water

2 shallots, minced

1 bay leaf

sprig of thyme

salt and pepper, to taste

2 -4 large eggs, depending on who you're feeding

1 tablespoon butter, room temp

2 teaspoons flour

to serve: toasted bread, avocado, chives, herbs, etc. 

Notes:  I used a Chardonnay wine.  Take care to chose a dry wine and one that isn't too sweet.  You definitely do not want to have a sweet poached egg with a sweet sauce- totally not the goal.

In a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat combine the wine, water, shallots, bay leaf, thyme, and salt. Boil for five minutes. Dial back the heat a bit, before carefully cracking eggs into the skillet (you can crack each egg into a separate small bowl, and then transfer, if you're not comfortable going direct to the skillet). Cover and simmer for another five minutes (mine were a little overcooked at 5 minutes so I'd go with 3 or 4 minutes, especially if you want an over easy poached egg) or so - until the eggs whites are opaque, and the yolks are set to your liking. Once poached, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon from the skillet and set aside. Cook the liquid in the pan down a bit more, until you have about 1/2 cup of liquid left, then strain the liquid into a small saucepan. Whisk the butter and flour into a paste, then add this to the strained sauce, stirring until smooth, taste and add a bit of salt if needed.

Serve each egg on a piece of toast over a bit of smashed avocado, drizzled with a bit of sauce, and sprinkled with chives.