Introducing a delightful French treat: Poached Eggs With Cheese Sauce! Imagine soft cheese mingling with white wine, shallots, and heavy cream to create a creamy, dreamy sauce. Pour it over poached eggs, and you’ve got a dish that’s simply irresistible!
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A few details about the ingredients
Eggs – I always use very fresh, free-range eggs for the best results. In France, poached eggs with sauce are usually served as a starter. For a starter, I recommend one egg per person. For a heartier main course, double the number of eggs and count two eggs per person. No need to double the quantity of cheese sauce; there is plenty of it for 4 people!
Cheese – I used Epoisses cheese – which is a French, washed-rind soft cow milk cheese. Don’t be scared away by the pungent aromas of this cheese, it is milder in flavor than it is on the nose! If Epoisses is not available where you live, you can replace it with matured Brie Munster, Soumaintrain, or any mature soft cow milk cheese.
Dry white wine – I recommend Chardonnay or Aligoté. Both work great in this sauce.
Wine Pairing for Poached Eggs in Cheese Sauce🍷
CHARDONNAY
Here Chardonnay will be used both in the recipe and as the wine to pair it with. We recommend choosing an oaked Chardonnay: its butteriness will complement the creaminess of this dish beautifully.
WINE APPELLATION SUGGESTIONS
Recipe FAQs
The cheese sauce can be kept for up to two days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Only the sauce. Make the cheese sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. Just before serving, reheat the sauce and poach the eggs. It’s ready!
Other delicious French-inspired recipes
Poached Eggs in Cheese Sauce (French Way)
PRINT SAVEINGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots thinly minced
- 1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine (Chardonnay or Aligoté work wonderfully)
- 1 cup (200 ml) heavy cream (also called whipping cream)
- 1 cup (250 g) Epoisses cheese or mature Brie cut into small cubes
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper I used white pepper for a floral note
- 4 free-range eggs
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the cheese sauce.
- In a pot, add the extra-virgin olive oil and sauté the minced shallots over medium heat until they become translucent.
- Deglaze the shallots with white wine and let the preparation simmer for 3 minutes or until the alcohol has evaporated.
- Add the heavy cream and cubes of Epoisses cheese (or Brie) and cook for another 5 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted and the preparation is well combined.
- Add white pepper.
- Using an immersion blender, mix the preparation until smooth.
Then, poach the eggs by following these steps:
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer.
- Crack one egg into a small cup.
- With a wooden spoon, stir the simmering water dynamically by describing a circle shape. The aim is to create a vortex in which the egg will be dropped.
- Drop the egg into the vortex (the vortex will coat the egg white around the yolk).
- Let it cook for 3 minutes and remove it from the pot.
- Repeat this step, one egg at a time.
Plate the eggs.
- In individual bowls, serve one poached egg per person, topped with a ladle of cheesy sauce.
- Serve with toasted sourdough bread for extra crunchiness and a glass of your favorite Chardonnay wine!
NOTES
- If using Brie cheese, I recommend keeping the rind on. As the sauce is mixed, it won’t be perceivable on the palate but will add a delicious depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Cheese is usually pretty salty. There is therefore no need to add salt to this recipe.
- Cooking the poached eggs for 3 minutes will result in a perfectly runny yolk. Make sure to time away.