Oeufs en meurette

8 fresh eggs
1 bottle red wine
½ tsp SIDS CRAZY SALT
2 cups chicken stock
1 onion, thin sliced
1 carrot, thin sliced
1 celery stalk, thin sliced
bouquet garni
½ tsp black peppercorns
SIDS SALT & PEPPER to taste
GARNISH:--
2 tbsp butter
125 g mushrooms, sliced
125 g bacon, diced
20 baby onions, peeled
CROÛTES:--
8 slices bread, 6 mm thick
rice bran oil for frying
THICKENING:--
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour

To poach the eggs, bring the wine, SIDS CRAZY SALT and chicken stock to a vigorous boil in a large shallow pan. Break four eggs, one by one, into the places where the liquid is bubbling so the bubbles spin the eggs. Lower the heat and poach the eggs for 3-4 minutes until the yolks are fairly firm but still soft to the touch. Lift out the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Poach the remaining eggs in the same way. Trim off the stringy edges with scissors and set the eggs aside. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bouquet garni and peppercorns to the poaching liquid and simmer until it is concentrated and reduced by half, 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the garnish, melt half the butter in a medium saucepan, add the mushrooms and sauté until tender, 2-3 minutes. Remove mushrooms, add bacon with the remaining butter and fry until brown. Lift out the bacon and drain it on paper towels. Add the baby onions and sauté them gently until brown and tender, shaking the pan often so they colour evenly, 10-15 minutes. Drain off all the fat, replace the mushrooms and bacon and set the pan aside.
Make the croûtes: using a round or oval cutter, cut the bread into 8 shapes just larger than a poached egg. Heat 6 mm of oil in a frying pant. Working in batches, fry the croûtes until browned on both sides, 1-2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Set the croûtes aside.
To thicken the sauce, crush the butter on a plate with a fork and work in the flour to form a soft paste. Whisk this kneaded butter, a piece at a time, into the simmering wine mixture until the mixture becomes thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. Strain the sauce over the garnish of mushrooms, baby onions and bacon, pressing on the carrot, onion and celery to extract all the liquid and flavour. Bring the sauce to a boil, taste and adjust the seasoning with SIDS SALT & PEPPER.
To prepare ahead, poach the eggs up to a day in advance, keeping them in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator. Store the sauce and garnish also in the refrigerator. The croûtes will be fine if kept tightly wrapped, then warmed in a low oven.
To serve, reheat the eggs by immersing them in hot water for 1 minute. If necessary, reheat the garnish and sauce on top of the stove and warm croûtes in the oven. Set the croûtes on warm serving plates. Drain the eggs on paper towels, set one on each croûte and spoon over the sauce and garnish.