Sauce Gribiche
This is a fantastic sauce and is one of those stand-bys that you can make when you don’t think you have anything on hand. If you keep a jar of capers and one of cornichons (gherkins) in the refrigerator, along with a some herbs, you can make this pretty easily.
Traditionally sauce gribiche is served over tête de veau, boiled veal head, which is something I’ve yet to try. (And I’m not dying to, either.) But it makes a simple piece fish, like the merlu (hake) Jackie poached, into something special. It can also be spooned over halves of hard-cooked eggs or steamed asparagus.
The recipe also calls for using a bunch of herbs, but Jackie said it’s best with just one: parsley. Being contrary, I like to use a mix. And when I suggested chopping the capers to distribute them more easily, she looked as if I suggested that she wait at the end of the line at the butcher. Still, in your kitchen, feel free to adjust the recipe—au pif.
Ingredients
- 1 egg large
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 cornichon
- 8 capers drained, rinsed, and squeezed dry, up to 10 small
- about 1/4 cup mixed herbs flat-leaf parsley, chervil, and/or tarragon, gently-packed, chopped
- salt freshly-ground black pepper
- black pepper freshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the egg in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain away the water, and cool the egg by adding ice and cold water to the pot.
- Once cool, peel the egg then extract the yolk. In a medium-sized bowl, mash the yolk until smooth with the mustard.
- Dribble in the olive oil, beating with a fork or wooden spoon while doing so (trying to make an emulsion), then adding the vinegar.
- Chop the egg white and cornichon separately into fine cubes, the size of the capers, and add them to the sauce. Then add the capers themselves.
- Stir in the herbs and add salt and pepper. Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper, and vinegar, if necessary. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Storage: The sauce gribiche, can be made up to one day ahead and refrigerated. *Her recipe calls for un verre (one glass) of olive oil. And when I asked what that was on behalf of you, my readers, she waved me away, tapping the side of her nose. “Au pif, Daveed!” But it looked to me to be about one-third of a cup. You can add more or less to make the sauce the consistency that you want.