Gribiche Sauce
This piquant sauce is especially good served with cold fish, crustaceans, smoked trout and hard boiled eggs.
Overview
A vibrant, classically French cold sauce combining hard-boiled egg yolks with tangy vinegar and flavorful aromatics. The pickled vegetables and fresh herbs provide complexity and bright acidity, creating an elegant companion to cold fish and shellfish.
Ingredients
Base
- 4 hard boiled eggs
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 250 ml groundnut oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Vegetables & herbs
- 30 grams capers (drained)
- 30 grams cornichons (finely diced)
- 2 tablespoons Fines Herbes (finely snipped)
- salt
- pepper
Method
Stage 1 - Prepare egg base
- Separate the hard-boiled egg whites and yolks.
- Put the yolks, mustard and a little salt and pepper into a mortar and crush with the pestle to make a smooth paste.
Stage 2 - Create emulsion
- Gradually trickle in half of the groundnut oil, mixing with the pestle as you go to amalgamate it thoroughly.
- Still mixing, add the wine vinegar, then continue to trickle in the remaining oil as before.
Stage 3 - Add vegetables & herbs
- Coarsely chop the hard boiled egg whites.
- Add to the sauce with the capers, cornichons and herbs and mix them in with a spoon.
Stage 4 - Season & serve
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Egg yolk emulsion: Essential for sauce body; don't skip the mortar work as it creates silky base.
- Oil temperature: Cold oil emulsifies best; room temperature oil creates separated, greasy sauce.
- Fresh herbs: Fines herbes should be freshly snipped; dried loses delicate flavour needed here.
Serving
Serve chilled with cold poached fish, smoked trout, shellfish (crab, lobster), and cold eggs. A classic French sauce for charcuterie boards.
Storage
- Keeps refrigerated for 2 days in an airtight container.
- Does not freeze well; emulsion breaks upon thawing.
- Best eaten fresh; egg yolks oxidize and darken slightly with time.
More like this
Bang Bang Sauce
A no-cook three-ingredient sauce. Mayo gives body, sweet chilli sauce brings the sweet-tart-mild-spice base, sriracha tops the heat to whatever level you want. Stirred together, ready immediately. Keeps for weeks in the fridge.
Marbled Tea Eggs
Marbled tea eggs are a classic Chinese preparation in which hard-boiled eggs are cracked and simmered in a spiced black tea broth, creating a striking web-like pattern on the surface once peeled. The soy sauce, cinnamon, and star anise infuse the eggs with a deep, aromatic flavour that complements their visual appeal. They are traditionally served cold and make an elegant garnish or snack alongside other cold dishes.
Meringue Francaise (French Meringue)
Meringue Francaise is the simplest meringue preparation, requiring only whipped egg whites, sugar, and icing sugar. Its light, airy texture and delicate crunch make it ideal for countless applications from simple piped kisses to structural components in layered desserts. The gradual addition of sugar and careful folding of icing sugar preserves the airiness essential to this preparation.
Meringue Italienne (Italian Meringue)
Meringue Italienne is a sophisticated meringue made by pouring hot sugar syrup onto whipped egg whites, creating a stable, silky meringue with a velvety mouthfeel. The cooked sugar stabilizes the egg whites, making this meringue less susceptible to weeping than French meringue. Its luxurious texture makes it ideal for piped decorations and as a base for creams like crème au beurre.