sauce gribiche

Sauce gribiche can be a lot of things. It can be big on the mustard or light on the egg. Here, it’s the jumping off point for a briny, herbaceous sauce that’s absolutely perfect perched atop a tender slab of meat. I advise that you make some, taste it, and play around a bit. I’m convinced that no sauce gribiche is the same; make yours your own and then dump it on everything in sight, from meats to eggs to excellent bread.

Speaking of sauce gribiche and individuality, I like mine with a runny yolk and firm whites. Traditionally, the sauce would call for a fully-cooked egg (if the recipe calls for an egg at all), but I like the suppleness of the runny yolk and the way it effortlessly blends into the olive oil, lending a cloudy creaminess that unifies things beautifully.

Here, our gribiche is pictured with this pan-seared pork loin, and this creamy polenta.

Sauce Gribiche

1 large egg
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup mixed parsley, thyme, and tarragon, finely minced
2 tablespoons capers, minced
4 cornichon, minced
pinch of salt, plus 1 teaspoon for boiling water
pinch of red pepper flakes
a few twists of black pepper

Place the egg in a small saucepan and fill with water just to cover. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a boil, cover, turn off the heat, and let the egg stand in the water for 4 minutes. Remove egg and run under cool water.

Meanwhile, combine all of the remaining ingredients except the oil in a small bowl. Stir together vigorously, maybe even mashing things together a bit.

Set out a second small bowl. Peel the egg. Place any of the runny parts right into the bowl, and finely chop the solid parts of the egg. Use a fork to blend the egg yolk with the olive oil, and then fold in the chopped egg white and prepared herb mixture.

Set aside for 20 minutes to let the flavors mingle.

Spoon over your favorite meat, eggs, or bread, and serve.