Step Aside, Mayo & Hollandaise—This Egg-y French Sauce Is My All-Time Fave

We’ve teamed up with Eggland’s Best to share delicious ideas for cooking with their farm-fresh Classic Eggs, from breakfast to dinnertime. Fed an all-vegetarian diet, Eggland’s Best hens produce quality eggs that not only taste great, but are an excellent source of vitamins E, D, B2, B5, and B12, as well as lutein and omega-3 fatty acids. Even better, they stay fresher for longer compared to ordinary eggs, making them one of our go-to fridge staples.

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We all know—and love—the more famous of the egg-based sauces: silky, brunch-able hollandaise; garlicky, olive oil-laced aioli; and, of course, the fridge staple, mayonnaise. But, there is one egg-cellent sauce that deserves a place on the roster (and on your table): sauce gribiche.

The French categorize gribiche as a cold egg sauce or cooked egg mayonnaise, but neither of those terms really do this classic sauce of boiled eggs, tender green herbs, Dijon mustard, cornichons, and capers justice. It can be loose and luscious like a perfectly bound vinaigrette or whipped into a thick, spoonable sauce flecked with finely chopped egg whites. It works it’s egg-y, piquant magic on just about anything it touches.

Bonus: If you are an egg-based sauce beginner, gribiche is a great start. The boiled yolks—we’ll get to soft versus medium in a minute—are surprisingly forgiving when it comes to emulsifying compared to raw egg yolks, offering a more stable base for whisking in the oil (broken sauces, be gone!).

Let’s start with the basics.

At its core, gribiche sauce is made up of three essential parts: the eggs, the herbs, and the briny things. The eggs are the backbone of the sauce, so it’s important to use good-quality ones like Eggland’s Best. These classic eggs—laid by hens raised on all-vegetarian feed—boil up like a dream with a rich, supple yolk and tender whites, providing the perfect base for the sauce.

Next, the flavorings. Traditionally, the herbs used are chervil, tarragon, and parsley, while the briny part consists of cornichons and capers. One of the great things about this sauce is you don’t have to stick to these classic additions, but we’ll circle back to all the ways you can go egg-wild with different herb-and-pickle variations a little later.

When it comes to technique, you can use the whole, soft-boiled egg method or the medium-to-hard-boiled method that separates the yolks from the whites. Which direction you choose depends on what vibe you want the sauce to have.

If you want a looser gribiche sauce with a texture somewhere between a thick dressing (think Caesar) and a mayonnaise, go with Kenzi Wilbur’s whole, soft-boiled method, which finds inspiration from beloved San Francisco restaurant, Zuni Cafe. Kenzi’s method starts with a four-minute egg that is combined with mustard and whisked with the oil of your choice into a ribbony sauce that just clings to the spoon. Studded with finely chopped shallots, cornichons, capers, and green herbs, this version is simply divine served over potatoes or even hard-boiled eggs for a double-egg delight.

If you’re looking for a thicker, spoonable, spreadable gribiche, go with the second method (this is my preferred style, but to each their own!). This technique starts with a couple medium-boiled eggs. The yolks are separated, mashed into a paste with mustard and white wine vinegar, and whisked with oil (I always use good extra-virgin olive oil for the flavor instead of something more neutral like canola) into a mayonnaise-like dream. The whites are finely chopped and folded in at the end along with the pickled bits and herbs.

Whatever way you whisk it, this condiment is as versatile as it is delicious. Gribiche is traditionally paired with boiled meats, such as tête de veau, but come summer, this sauce graces my picnic table alongside grilled meats of all kinds. Try it served with slices of flame-kissed pork tenderloin, succulent pieces of rib-eye, and grilled salmon.

Sauce gribiche also makes an ideal mate for an array of vegetables, from asparagus and tender baby artichokes to deeply roasted wedges of broccoli and cauliflower. Or, try this egg salad version that’s anything but a boring desk lunch.

Now that you’ve mastered the classic, let’s mix it up.

Once you’ve got the egg base technique down, you can mix and match the herbs and briny ingredients to create whatever gribiche sauce your heart (and stomach) desires. The possibilities are as endless as there are pickled things—olives! Dill pickles! Any kind of pickled pepper!—and herbs.

My rule: For every two eggs, use about ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped briny things and 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh tender herbs (if you want to get wild with heartier herbs like rosemary or thyme, you’ll want to use ½ teaspoon and balance it out with a couple tablespoons of something fresher, like parsley). Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Italian giardiniera (mixed pickled vegetables) + Calabrian peppers in olive oil + an anchovy + parsley and oregano

• Dill pickles + pickled vidalia onions + capers + dill, green onions, and parsley

• My personal favorite: green olives (try Castelvatrano for their milder flavor) + pickled jalapeños + chives and parsley (ideally served alongside crispy chicken cutlets)

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How would you mix up the classic sauce gribiche? Tell us in the comments below!

A good egg deserves to be turned into something delicious, which is why we’re partnering with Eggland’s Best to highlight our best recipes, tips, and techniques starring their Classic Eggs. Packed with great taste and nutrients (they’re an excellent source of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids), Eggland’s Best Classic Eggs are our pick for all sorts of dishes—from classic scrambled eggs to crispy chicken cutlets with a flavorful hard-boiled egg sauce.