Make Ahead

Sauce Gribiche

by:
July  9, 2013
4.3
3 Ratings
Sauce Gribiche
Photo by Mark Weinberg
  • Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Author Notes

This is essentially an aioli, tricked out with herbs and made salty and bright with capers and vinegar, respectively. It's heaven on roast chicken and hard boiled eggs, even better on potatoes and asparagus. But it's a little hard to nail down -- everyone has their own version, much like the cobblers of the world -- and that's exactly what I love about it. If you're inclined, you can make it your own.

Some versions, like this one, start with a 4-minute egg; this recipe borrows that technique from the Zuni Cafe version.

Feel free to play with it, as I do: the herbs change with my mood, and I'll add cornichons because I love them but only if I have them. I use grapeseed oil because it's neutral and unobtrusive, but if you want a sauce that's pushier, both in color and in flavor, use olive oil. —Kenzi Wilbur

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt
  • 1 1/4 cups grapeseed oil
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed herbs (I usually use chives, tarragon, parsley, and dill)
  • 1-2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, dried, and coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cornichons (about 4-5)
Directions
  1. Combine the shallots and the vinegar in a small bowl, and let sit while you do the rest.
  2. Make a 4-minute egg: put an egg in a saucepan of water and bring it to a boil, then simmer for four minutes. Transfer the egg to an ice bath and let it cool.
  3. Peel the egg and place it in a bowl with a generous pinch of salt and your mustard. Bash it a little with a whisk, so the yolk runs free and the white starts to break into smaller bits.
  4. Whisk everything together briefly and begin to make your aioli: slowly whisk in the oil drop by drop until the sauce begins to hold its shape. At this point, you can whisk the oil in working in a thin stream.
  5. When it's at the aioli stage, stir in the capers, cornichons, and herbs. Add the shallots, and little by little, the vinegar, too. The liquid will thin your sauce, so add the vinegar to your desired consistency.
  6. Season to taste, and serve.
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5 Reviews

anne
anne July 9, 2023
Is the 4 minute egg cooked for safety reasons or is it for texture? I never cook eggs by putting them in cold water and bringing to a boil, I add them to boiling water so I have no idea what the texture will be when done. I make mayo all the time with raw egg yolk, so not clear on whether that is the goal here. Thank you!
 
FinVoilaQuoi
FinVoilaQuoi January 12, 2018
Pretty good, definitely makes me miss France. I forgot that I hate whisking though. I should have made a smaller batch since I shouldn't eat all of that in a week. Also, this is closer to a mayo than aioli since there is zero garlic in it.
 
iwilk
iwilk July 14, 2013
Made this tonight and it was delicious. Spooned it over roasted fingerling potatoes and roast chicken. It turned out a lot thicker than I thought, not that that's a bad thing. I think maybe my shallots were bigger than average, so I only ended up using one. Can't wait to see how it tastes tomorrow after sitting in the fridge.
 
Stephanie D.
Stephanie D. July 14, 2013
How long can this recipe keep?
 
Kenzi W.
Kenzi W. July 14, 2013
To be safe, I'd say up to 3 days. But I bet it won't last that long.