Sauce Gribiche

A piquant cold sauce of hard-boiled egg yolks mashed to an emulsion with mustard and oil, studded with capers, cornichons, and chopped tarragon, chervil, and parsley, served with boiled meats, fish, and vegetables

Origin: France

From the journey of Tarragon.

Sauce gribiche belongs to the family of cold French egg sauces, a close cousin of rémoulade and ravigote, and it is a small marvel of thrift and elegance: a sauce built not on raw egg yolk, as mayonnaise is, but on the cooked yolks of hard-boiled eggs, mashed to a paste with mustard and emulsified with oil and vinegar into something thick, glossy, and tangy. Into this base go the things that give gribiche its piquant character: chopped capers and cornichons for sharpness, the chopped egg whites for texture, and a generous quantity of fresh herbs, classically tarragon, chervil, and parsley, with tarragon the most distinctive voice amongst them. The result is bright, herby, and faintly mustardy, and its traditional home is the table of boiled and poached things that might otherwise want for interest: the classic partner of a tête de veau or a plate of boiled beef, it is equally at home with poached fish, cold chicken, boiled potatoes, asparagus, and crisp vegetables. Gribiche is a sauce of the bistro and the home rather than the grand restaurant, and it shows the French gift for turning the humblest ingredients, a few hard-boiled eggs and a handful of herbs, into something genuinely fine.

Ingredients

The Sauce

3 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
150 ml neutral oil (grapeseed or sunflower)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar

The Garnish

2 tbsp capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
3 tbsp cornichons, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh chervil or chives, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Halve the hard-boiled eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Press the yolks through a sieve or mash them very smooth in a bowl. Finely chop the whites and set aside.
Work the mustard into the mashed yolks to a stiff paste. Then, whisking constantly, add the oil in a thin stream, as for mayonnaise, until the sauce is thick and emulsified. Loosen with the vinegar.
Fold in the chopped egg whites, capers, and cornichons.
Stir through the tarragon, parsley, and chervil. Season with salt and pepper, and add a little more vinegar if it needs sharpening.
Serve at room temperature with boiled or poached meats, poached fish, cold chicken, boiled potatoes, asparagus, or crudités.

Notes

Tarragon, chervil, and parsley are the classic herbs, but the proportions are a matter of taste; keep tarragon prominent. Some cooks add chopped fresh chives or a little fresh dill. Gribiche is traditionally served with tête de veau and boiled beef, but it is wonderful with almost anything poached, boiled, or grilled, and makes an excellent dressing for a salad of cold new potatoes or green beans.

The Gastrographer

Name: Sauce Gribiche
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 3 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 150 ml neutral oil (grapeseed or sunflower); 1 tbsp white wine vinegar; 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and roughly chopped; 3 tbsp cornichons, finely chopped; 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped; 1 tbsp fresh chervil or chives, chopped; salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control