Eggs à la Bercy

À la Bercy is a term that is applied to a number of dishes that originated in small restaurants in the Bercy district of Paris from 1820 onwards.  This simple recipe can be served as a starter or as a supper dish.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 2¼ Hrs

Total Time: 2½ Hrs

Ingredients

For 2 portions

4                    Chipolatas  - Fried or grilled     

4                    Eggs  - Fried or scrambled      

                      Tomato sauce         

For the tomato sauce

                      Bouquet garni         

60 gms            Flour        

4 cloves           Garlic  - crushed      

                      Pepper      

                      Salt          

100 cl              Stock        

1 pinch            Sugar       

1810 gms         Tomatoes  - puréed  

For the tomato sauce mirepoix

2                    Bay leaves

110 gms          Belly pork  - finely diced         

30 gms            Butter       

200 gms          Carrots  - finely diced

110 gms          Onions  - finely diced

1 bunch           Thyme      

Method

To make the tomato sauce…

Fry the mirepoix ingredients in the butter until the fat from the pork runs.  Stir in the flour and cook until browned then add the tomatoes, the salt, pepper, sugar, bouquet garni, garlic and stock.  Cook very gently for about 2 hours.  Work through a fine sieve and keep until needed.  Note: there will be more tomato sauce than is required for this recipe.  It will keep in the fridge for use in other recipes.

To make the eggs à la Bercy…

Place the eggs in the centre of a gratin dish.  Arrange the chipolatas round the egg and surround with a ribbon of tomato sauce.

Wine recommendations

Conventional

     Menetou-Salon

Interesting

     Arbois rouge

     Beaujolais Villages

     Coteau Champenois rouge or blanc

     Crémant d'Alsace