The new year is a time to reset, especially in the kitchen. To help you get there, we've partnered with Eggland's Best to highlight dishes that are satisfying and nourishing, but light enough that they won't feel over-indulgent. All are made even more delicious with EB eggs.
What’s that famous phrase? A person cannot live on steamed broccoli alone? That doesn’t seem quite right, but I agree with the sentiment just the same. Especially when I’ve got so much steamed broccoli in my future, to atone for all my December indulgences. While I've promised myself to eat more vegetables, I know that I'll never follow through with that resolution long-term if I’m not having any fun. So I've also vowed to add a little sass to my otherwise virtuous plate in the form of the classic French condiment: Gribiche.
A traditional French sauce, Gribiche is essentially a posh word for the absolute best mayonnaise you’ve ever tasted, plus a hard-boiled egg, herbs, and capers. While the sauce can be made many different ways, my favorite is a slightly oddball recipe which starts with a perfect four-minute egg rather than the traditional hard-boiled egg as its base. While the white is fully cooked, the yolk stays luscious and oozy, amping up the sauce’s richness and texture.
After the egg white is broken up into small pieces and mixed with the gooey yolk and a touch of mustard and salt, it's time for the magical emulsion: Drop by drop, a neutral oil like grapeseed is steadily whisked into a thick, creamy sauce. (It takes about three to four minutes of constant, fervent whisking—but you’ve been wanting to get more exercise in the new year, anyways, right?)
Herbs and other little flavorful bits like cornichons, capers, parsley, and tarragon are the traditional additions, but there are a million ways to riff on this (I usually make mine with whatever herbs and pickled vegetables I have on hand, or choose an acid and herb pairing based off what I'm planning to put the sauce on). Then comes the easy part—putting it on stuff! Roasted chicken, poached salmon, and even plain old steamed broccoli all become entirely more attractive with a (heavy) dollop or two.
Whatever variation I choose, this sauce turns the foods I feel like I “should” eat (psst, steamed broccoli) into the foods that I want to eat. And that’s how I like to start the year: not-boring, full of flavor, and feeling pretty darn pleased with myself.
We're sharing dishes that are as good as they are good for you, all made more delicious and nutritious with EB eggs. Eggland's Best credits the benefits of their eggs (like 25% less saturated fat and 38% more lutein) to an all-vegetarian hen feed.
Written by: Eliza Winograd
Popular on Food52
2 Comments
I like gribiche on chicken or cod slices that have been dredged in seasoned almond flour and sizzled in olive oil + butter just until cooked. And on fish cakes. Haven't used it much on vegetables. Must try. ;o)
See what other Food52 readers are saying.