Single Egg Meurette Toast

Melt 3 g butter in a very small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add all the chopped shallot and garlic and cook gently for about 4 minutes until soft, without browning. Pour in all the weighed red wine, bring to a gentle simmer and reduce uncovered for about 12-18 minutes until only about one third of the wine liquid remains. Keep all the shallot and garlic; do not strain.

Add all the prepared beef broth to the reduction and simmer gently for about 5-8 minutes until the sauce is glossy and lightly coats a spoon, with enough liquid to spoon over the toast. Avoid reducing to a dry or sticky paste. Season lightly with salt and pepper, remembering the bacon is salty. Keep over the lowest heat.

While the sauce reduces, cut all the already cooked bacon into small strips. Heat the remaining 2 g butter in a small nonstick skillet and reheat the bacon for about 2 minutes until sizzling and 74 °C. Move every strip into the sauce, leaving its fat in the skillet. Toast the entire bread slice in that same skillet for about 2-3 minutes per side until crisp and golden, pressing it gently into the retained butter and bacon fat. Do not blot away fat or discard crumbs.

Bring all the plain water to a gentle simmer in a small deep saucepan about 12 cm wide. Crack the whole egg into a cup, slide it carefully into the water and poach gently for about 6-8 minutes until the white is fully set and the yolk is firm, reaching 74 °C. Do not use a rolling boil that breaks the egg. Lift the whole egg out with a slotted spoon and let excess water drain back into the pan; discard the poaching water.

Put the whole toast and all its crumbs on one shallow plate and set the entire poached egg on top. Spoon every bit of the hot shallot, bacon and wine sauce over and around it. Eat immediately as one light lunch portion. The sauce is wine-based; extra toast, mushrooms, parsley, cheese and butter are not included.