The magic of Christmas returns to the arboretum of the Domaine d'Harcourt (Eure) / Les oeufs meurette

Vanessa Zhâ & Olivier Poels 07:04, 02 December 2023

This morning we're going for a walk in Normandy in the Eure, Vanessa?

For a journey into the wonderful, the wonderful plant since we go to discover the oldest arboretum of France not very far from Evreux It dates from 1810. And from this weekend, until January 7th, it is adorned with its most beautiful lights, it takes you by the hand to wander along a magical 1-hour route. The particularity of this estate is that it is huge, 11 hectares, that it has remained preserved, it is in the middle of the countryside, its medieval fortress is the witness of this, it is almost intact, and the magic of Harcourt is due to its 2000 trees.

Some are rare, I guess?

yes remarkable trees.. two spectacular cedars of Lebanon, a cypress from the Sahara, so he who was able to acclimatize to the warmth between the bricks of the old vegetable garden of the castle, result for 40 years they even give many fruits, And then two other amazing trees my favorite: twisting beech trees! They are about a hundred years old, totally twisted, they sneak up to the ground. They look like the beating beech trees in Harry Potter... they remain a genetic mystery... so even more magical... In addition, the two of them form a magical hut

Ah, indeed, it's a beautiful playground to create a Christmas light trail... Do you have any favorites on this animation?

So already... chicken cocotements... the hen Monique! emblem of the Normandy bocage. She is the one who will guide us for 1 hour. We will follow the luminous traces she leaves, her feathers, her egg to dive into vegetal and dreamlike paintings... with another favorite: the highlight of the show: A sequence of 14 grandiose and unusual minutes... a moment suspended in the trees with glitter chickens. I keep a bit of surprise and magic... You'll get goosebumps and it's not just a play on words!!

One last crush to keep our mouths watering?

You will be able to operate the light projections on the walls of the castle, thanks to the turnstiles that are at your disposal! Immersive and fun. You'll discover hidden talents as an art director.

A great family discovery to book on the Domaine d'Harcourt website. Do you have a place to stay with us?

15 minutes from Hartcourt. The Mansion of the Golden Horses. An old Norman manor house from the 17th century, half-timbered. 9 themed rooms. From 85 euros per night in this season

Eggs meurette

The recipe for eggs en meurette is linked to that for beef bourguignon / It's originally a leftover recipe / Beef bourguignon was a festive dish, a Sunday dish / We used to collect the sauce and poach eggs in it, we added mushrooms... and presto, / Afterwards we made a recipe in its own right / There is now a world championship at the Clos Vougeot.

The rule of eggs meurette is to poach the eggs in red wine!

The Recipe

Chop the shallot and sweat it in butter / Add the bacon / Simmer for 5 minutes / Deglaze with 2 glasses of wine and the veal stock and reduce by half / Add the chopped mushrooms and onions / Continue cooking for 15 minutes and reserve the sauce / Bring the rest of the wine to a boil and flambé to remove the alcohol / Poach the eggs for 3 minutes creating a swirl / Place the eggs in a soup plate and drizzle with the sauce / serve with the bread.