Poached Eggs “Gambrinus”

4 eggs
0.5 bottle Belgian beer
(such as Kriek) or lager
60 g – 2 oz. butter
1 tb flour
0.5 ts sugar
1 dl – 3,3 fl. oz. cream
4 slices bread
1 tb chopped parsley
Salt, pepper

Bring the beer to a boil in a saucepan. Break the eggs in small bowls and slide them carefully into the beer: poach them for 3-4 minutes, or until they are set. Remove the eggs from the beer with a slotted spoon, drain and keep warm.

Strain the beer into a jug. Make a roux with the butter and the flour, and gradually add the strained beer until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add the sugar and cream, and mix well. Adjust seasoning.

Cut off the crusts of the slices of bread and trim them into ovals or rounds, then fry them in the remaining butter. Put one egg on each slice of fried bread, spoon the sauce over, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve very hot.

Remarks: 4 servings.

Source: A Taste of the Belgian Provinces, Enid Gordon and Midge Shirley (published by The Tuesday Group, rue Frans Merjay, 1060 Brussels).