Breakfast of Champignons

Ok. I've had a bit of a dig at “breakfast” in the past. “Chef's don't eat blah blah,” and “can't face food before my first seven coffees,” and so on. I was harsh, made sweeping generalizations, issued dismissive statements, derided entire populations, ridiculed ways of life, and was, in general, nasty about eating before noon.

Every single thing I have said is indisputable fact.

However, I must admit: I've been shaken. To be honest, I love the foods we would generally call “breakfast foods” - bacon, toast, marmalade, eggs, home fries, hash browns, pancakes, waffles, sausages. In Australia add to the list sautéed mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, and, maybe, baked beans. What's not to like?

All joking and chefly machismo aside, I really have no appetite prior to lunch time. I thought, sadly, that all the above foods were therefore off limits to me, or that, at the very least, I would be subject to some kind of ambient scorn for eating eggs on toast at 1:00 p.m..

That was all before ouefs en meurette. It is a French country dish composed of eggs, bacon, mushrooms, and toast and it is a capitol “M” Meal. The eggs are poached in red wine, served on toasted sourdough, and garnished with lardons, roasted pearl onions, and sautéed mushrooms. Over this is poured a rich veal and red wine sauce. The dish is finished with some crisp frisée leaves which technically (as far as chefs are concerned) qualifies this as a “salad.”

I challenge anyone to consume this before noon. Not only is it incredibly filling and ridiculously rich, if you begin preparing all the components any later than 10:00 a.m. (the time most of you internet hippies roll out of bed) you wont be eating till early afternoon.



Hurry up. Get to work.

I've taken a few liberties here. First, I use roast chicken stock instead of veal, I like the slightly lighter flavor. Second, I use super-rich duck eggs instead of chicken eggs. Duck eggs (below left) are larger and tastier than those of hens. Good thing, because you'll be pretty bloody hungry after all the work you are about to do. This serves two.



100 g spec
12 button mushrooms
6 eshallots
2 slices sourdough
250 ml red wine
2 duck eggs
1 sm bunch frisée

Prep all of the components and get the sauce started (below) before you begin cooking. Cut the spec into ½ cm thick slices and then into ½ cm strips so that you have little sticks of spec. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and use them in the sauce (below). Bring a small pot of water to the boil and blanch the peeled eshallots for 8-10 minuets, until they can easily be pierced with a knife; drain. Cut the crusts from the sourdough and discard. Pick the yellow inner leaves from the frisée and discard the outer bitter leaves. Keep the duck eggs in the refrigerator.

Put the spec in a small fry pan with a touch of oil and place over low heat, shaking the pan periodically. As the spec cooks, some of the fat will render out and the pieces will crisp up. Using a slotted spoon, remove the spec from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Increase the heat to medium and gently brown the eshallots in the spec fat. Remove from pan. Increase the heat again to medium high and sauté the mushrooms until they have a deep brown color. You will find that they absorb most of the fat.

Remove the pan from the heat and return the spec and eshallots to the pan with the mushrooms. Pour the strained Sauce Bordelaise over the top and keep warm.

Toast the sourdough and place in the bottom of two small bowls.

In a small pan bring the red wine to a simmer. Crack one of the duck eggs and slip it onto the wine from as close to the surface as you can manage. Cook for 3 minuets, making sure the wine just simmers, but does not come to a full boil. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and place on the toast in one bowl. Repeat with the second egg.

Garnish each bowl with half the mushroom mixture, pour any remaining sauce over and top with the picked frisée.

For the Sauce Bordelaise

50 ml port
50 ml red wine
100 ml reduced roast chicken or veal stock
1 eshallot, sliced
button mushroom stems
1 clove garlic, cracked
1 bay leaf
1 black peppercorn
1 sprig thyme

In a small saucepan or heavy bottomed pot gently brown the mushroom stems and sliced eshallot in a bit of oil. Add the garlic, pepper, and herbs, cook for 30 seconds, and then add the port and wine. Reduce the alcohol to a glaze and then pour in the stock. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced by at least half and is thick and rich. Strain, discarding solids.