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Earthy comfort from Dijon to the hills of the Morvan

Menu de Bourgogne

In Bourgogne, the food speaks in low, rich tones.

It’s a region of patience — of slow braises, bold mustard, and wines as deep as the forests of the Morvan. Here, recipes are handed down like secrets, and every plate tells a story steeped in butter and red wine.

This week, we bring you a menu carved straight from the Burgundian heart:

Œufs en Meurette — eggs poached in Pinot Noir, cloaked in a shallot-bacon-mushroom sauce.

Then, the legendary Bœuf Bourguignon, with tender beef melting in a sauce as velvety as the Côte de Nuits.

And to finish, a spiced Pain d’Épices, served warm with a whisper of orange and honey.

Settle in. There will be wine. And silence — the good kind, the kind that comes from satisfaction.

Starter

Starter: Œufs en Meurette

Poached eggs in red wine sauce

This is the dish that surprises everyone — and seduces them soon after. A poached egg, nestled into a deep red wine reduction, dotted with lardons, shallots and button mushrooms. Rustic, reverent, and completely irresistible.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 fresh eggs

• 500 ml (2 cups) Pinot Noir

• 100g (3.5 oz) smoked bacon or lardons

• 150g (1 cup) mushrooms, sliced

• 2 shallots, finely chopped

• 30g (2 tbsp) butter

• 1 tbsp flour

• 1 bay leaf, thyme

• Salt, pepper, vinegar (for poaching)

Instructions:

Simmer the wine with herbs and shallots for 10 minutes. In another pan, fry the lardons and mushrooms in butter. Thicken the wine sauce with a roux (butter and flour), then fold in the sautéed mix. Poach the eggs in acidulated water. Place one egg in each bowl, ladle over the warm sauce, and serve with toasted baguette.

Main Course

Bœuf Bourguignon

Burgundy’s famous beef stew

This dish doesn’t rush. It cooks slowly, confidently, until the beef falls apart at the press of a fork and the sauce has turned to velvet.

Ingredients (serves 4–6):

• 1 kg (2.2 lbs) beef chuck, cut in chunks

• 200g (7 oz) carrots, sliced

• 150g (1 cup) pearl onions or shallots

• 150g (1 cup) mushrooms

• 150g (5 oz) smoked bacon or lardons

• 2 garlic cloves

• 750 ml (1 bottle) red Burgundy wine

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• Bouquet garni (thyme, bay, parsley)

• Salt, pepper, butter, flour, olive oil

Instructions:

Marinate beef overnight in wine with garlic and herbs. Next day, brown the beef and bacon. Remove, then sauté onions, carrots, mushrooms. Add flour, stir. Return meat to pot, pour in wine, tomato paste, bouquet garni. Cover and simmer gently for 3–4 hours. Skim. Taste. Serve with parsleyed potatoes or egg noodles.

And bread. Always bread.

Dessert

Pain d’Épices

Burgundy’s spiced honey cake

Not quite gingerbread. Not quite cake. Pain d’épices is an old soul — spiced with cinnamon, cloves and anise, sweetened with honey, and just dry enough to pair beautifully with a strong espresso or a late harvest wine.

Ingredients (serves 6–8):

• 250g (2 cups) rye flour or whole wheat flour

• 200g (¾ cup) honey

• 100ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) milk

• 50g (¼ cup) brown sugar

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp ground ginger

• ¼ tsp cloves

• ¼ tsp aniseed or fennel seed

• Pinch of salt

• Optional: orange zest, walnuts

Instructions:

Warm the honey and milk together. In a bowl, mix flour, spices, sugar, soda, and salt. Add egg and warm honey-milk. Stir until smooth. Pour into a buttered loaf tin. Bake at 160°C (325°F) for 40–50 minutes. Let cool. Slice. Serve with butter or a drizzle of marmalade — and silence.

🍷Wine Pairings:

Œufs en Meurette:

→ Red Burgundy (Pinot Noir) — ideally the same wine used in the sauce. A young Bourgogne Rouge works beautifully.

Bœuf Bourguignon:

→ Côte de Nuits-Villages, Mercurey, or even a Maranges — earthy, bold, and perfect with slow-cooked beef.

Pain d’Épices:

→ Crémant de Bourgogne demi-sec for bubbles

→ Late harvest Gewürztraminer (Alsace-Bourgogne crossover)

→ Or a strong cup of coffee. That works too.

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And so…

Let us say this: if you ever wander into the Morvan on a misty morning, follow the scent of woodsmoke and beef. Someone’s cooking. And if you knock on the door, chances are, they’ll have just enough for one more plate.

Bon appétit

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