Poached Eggs with Puy Lentils in Cream

Dice the onion, carrots and celery to a uniform 5mm brunoise. Mince the shallot and 2 garlic cloves. Tie the bouquet garni. Cube the 30g cold butter and return it to the refrigerator. Crack each egg individually into its own small ramekin or cup.

Place the lentils in a medium saucepan with the 2 whole garlic cloves and the bouquet garni. Cover with the cold water and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered until the lentils are just tender but still hold their shape, 22–26 minutes.

While the lentils cook, melt the 2 tbsp butter in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and golden at the edges, about 10 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and shallot to the softened vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 minutes.

Pour the white wine into the vegetable pan and cook, scraping the base, until the wine has almost entirely evaporated and the pan looks nearly dry, 3–4 minutes.

Stir in the crème fraîche and Dijon mustard. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon, 4–5 minutes.

Drain the lentils, discard the bouquet garni and whole garlic cloves, and fold the lentils into the cream sauce. Stir in the 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and season generously with fleur de sel and black pepper. Keep warm over the lowest heat setting.

Remove the cold cubed butter from the refrigerator. Take the pan off the heat and stir the cold butter cubes into the lentils one at a time until each is fully incorporated and the sauce is glossy. Cover and set aside.

Fill a wide, deep sauté pan or saucepan with at least 8cm of water. Add the 2 tbsp white wine vinegar. Bring to a bare simmer — small bubbles rising slowly, water surface trembling at around 85–90°C, never a rolling boil.

Slide 4 eggs into the simmering water one at a time from their ramekins, easing them in gently at the water's surface. Poach undisturbed until the whites are fully set and opaque but the yolks yield to gentle pressure, exactly 3 minutes 30 seconds. Because the yolks stay soft, use pasteurised eggs if serving anyone pregnant, elderly, very young or immunocompromised.

Remove the first batch of poached eggs with a slotted spoon and rest on a clean kitchen towel. Slide in the remaining 4 eggs and poach for the same time, 3 minutes 30 seconds.

Divide the warm lentils among four warmed shallow bowls. Nestle 2 poached eggs onto each portion, season with a pinch of fleur de sel and black pepper, and finish with a generous scattering of chopped parsley and chives.