Established in its early years, Food & Wine rooted its niche in French cuisine, boasting recipes such as the famous 'oeufs en meurette'. The dish was showcased by Anne Willan, founder of France's revered École de Cuisine La Varenne, who advocated for the art of cooking with wine.

'Oeufs pochés en meurette', otherwise known as simply 'oeufs en meurette', is hailing from the heartland of Burgundy in central France. This preparation is known for featuring sauce meurette, a savory red wine sauce with a hearty mix of bacon and onions, much akin to the popular sauce bourguignonne. Willan's rendition of the dish involves a dense, shiny sauce infused with red Burgundy and speckled with bacon bits. While the conventional method suggests poaching eggs directly in red wine for added taste, which gives eggs a grayish-purple hue, Willan recommends poaching them in water. The delectable sauce is then poured over the eggs just before service, promising an enriching gustatory experience.

The founder of École de Cuisine La Varenne does not categorically demand for Burgundian wine, however, she advises any cook that the quality of wine is pivotal - "If it is not fit to drink, it is not fit for the pot."

The recipe yields eight servings and was originally designed for this capacity. The measurements of the ingredients scale automatically. If you wish to try this classic French dish, bear in mind that the cooking times and steps are set in stone. However, adequation in recipe scaling varies.

Here is the original recipe, crafted at food and wine: Begin by dissolving veal demiglace in 2 cups of water in a nonreactive saucepan, over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add wine, tomato, and shallots together with a bouquet garni consisting of 5 flat-leaf parsley, 1 thyme sprig, and 1 fresh bay leaf. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-high, simmer to reduce by half (approximately 2 hours), taking about 50-55 minutes. Strain the concoction using a fine wire-mesh.

In the meantime, cook 1/2-inch cubes of bacon over medium-high heat, frequently stirring until lightly browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove bacon and drain it on a paper towel-lined plate. Blend softened butter and flour in a separate bowl to form beurre manié.

Reheat the wine mixture to a simmer and slowly whisk in the beurre manié. Whisk it continually until the sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the cooked bacon and season with salt and pepper.

To ready the dish for serving, place a poached egg on each sautéed bread round, drizzle around 2 1/2 tablespoons of wine sauce over each egg. For that final touch of sophistication, sprinkle parsley evenly over the dish, and serve with the remaining wine sauce on the side.

The preparation can be made in advance, up to 8 hours. If you opt to poach the eggs ahead of time, store them in water in the refrigerator separately from the sauce. When ready to serve, reheat the eggs in simmering water for about a minute, then drain on paper towels. The sautéd bread rounds can be loosely wrapped in foil and stored at room temperature till serving.