Oeufs en meurette (eggs poached in red wine with sauce bourguignonne)

Cut the carrot, onion, shallots and mushrooms into small cubes and the bacon into matchsticks.

Melt the butter in a pan, add the vegetables, coat well, cover and cook on low to medium about 10 minutes until their water has dried up, without colour.

Blanch the bacon and lardons: plunge into boiling water, take off as soon as it returns to a rolling boil, and cool in cold water.

Add the bacon to the vegetables and mix.

Pour in about half a litre of red wine and boil lightly to reduce it to about 150 ml, skimming the scum with a small sieve, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Cut rounds of crustless white bread with a cookie cutter, brush with garlic oil and fry gently in butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat until coloured on both sides; drain on paper towel.

Add 200 ml stock, bring to the boil, add a bunch of parsley, a little thyme and a tiny bay leaf, and reduce by two-thirds, about 10 minutes more, without seasoning yet.

Bring four cups of water, a little vinegar and about a cup of red wine to a simmer, not a boil.

Optionally swirl the water, slip a very fresh egg into the middle and poach at a slight simmer without touching it; it is very quick. Reserve and repeat.

Pass the reduced sauce through a sieve into another saucepan, pressing to extract the juices; the bacon can be picked out and pan-fried.

Off the heat, stir in a good tablespoon of butter without boiling again; correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Variation: to thicken further, reduce more or whisk in a little beurre manie of equal parts flour and butter.

Coat the plate with sauce, set a crouton on it, top with a poached egg and cover with more sauce; sprinkle with fried bacon and coarse parsley.