Recipe and Images by Fiona Hugues
Just the word gribiche (pron: gree-beesh) conjures up fancy plates, plucked, peeled and poached green whatnots carefully laid out to be admired by wowed guests. It’s a swanky old French recipe for a saucy combination of basically cold egg and mustard but with posh add-ins like shallots, cornichons and capers. No offence, but it’s a damn sight more bourgeois than the chopped eggy mustard powder mash-ups we Kiwis know and love. I’ve served it here over broccolini because I refuse to spend my hard-earned cash on ridiculously priced out of season carbon-loaded American asparagus, but when those little local green daggers of springtime delight finally crop up, get it all over them tout suite! Grebiche is also a damn good time with boiled new season baby spuds too, just saying.
handful of broccolini, or a dozen fat asparagus spears
3 large eggs, soft boiled
1–2 tbsp Champagne vinegar or good white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
5–6 cornichons, roughly chopped, or a tbsp or two of chopped gherkin
1 small shallot, finely sliced
a slosh of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp of grated zest and lemon juice to taste
4 tbsp finely chopped herbs (I used parsley and chervil here, and sometimes use chives)
flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Peel the eggs, break them open and place the cooked yolks in a small bowl. Roughly chop the cooked whites and place into another bowl.
To the yolks add the mustard, vinegar and salt and pepper. Stir to combine into a mayo-like consistency. Taste all the time and adjust to suit.
To the chopped egg whites add the shallots, cornichons, capers, olive oil, lemon zest and juice and the chopped herbs. Season to taste. Now at this point you can loosely spoon the yolky mix into the white and mix it together, but I like the look of them separated – it’s more photographic. But to combine or not is totally your call, so knock yourself out.
Simmer broccolini or asparagus in a little salted water until just tender. I use tongs to lift them out, gently shake off excess water and transfer to a serving platter.
Spoon over the gribiche and serve immediately
