I read an article in the Local (French news in English) that named the number one French take-out dish during the pandemic (as measured by the biggest food delivery service in France). Can you guess? I would have guessed pizza. Or coq au vin maybe.
Can you guess the answer? I never would have in a million years. There's a clue in the painting above.
Drum roll: l’Oeuf Mayonnaise.
Now I’ve lived in France almost 19 years, and I’ve never made or been served eggs with mayonnaise. I don’t even remember seeing it on menus. I was vaguely aware of it as French comfort food, something that didn’t look particularly enticing. But apparently it’s a classic that’s made a big comeback. Or maybe it's just a Parisian thing.
For the uninitiated, this dish consists of a boiled egg, something between soft and hard boiled, with a jammy yolk. The egg is covered with mayo (traditionally it is totally covered, sort of glazed), then topped with chives. Or, if you want to get creative, top it with bacon bits, caviar, etc.
So, I did a deep dive into French recipes for this king of take-outs. Lots of opinions on this one! Even people who don’t like either eggs or mayonnaise are said to be captivated by this simple dish. Since mayo is mostly made of eggs, it’s basically eggs on eggs. Or as my husband describes it: egg salad, without stirring it.
Some chefs wax poetic about how perfectly the egg must be cooked, exactly how you must make the mayo, etc. The very famous chef Joel Robuchon, however, suggests you just plop down a scoop of store-bought mayo on a boiled egg. I think even we can improve on that.
Homemade mayo seems compulsory here, and of course it’s easy to make. I bought pasteurized eggs for mine, to avoid the salmonella problem. If you've never made homemade mayo, you are in for a treat! I don't actually like regular mayo, not my choice for a sandwich. But homemade? I could eat it with a spoon. It's great on everything.
As to boiling an egg so it will peel easily, that is one of the great dilemmas of cooking. In the past I’ve tried a dozen methods, and only one has worked, and it works well most of the time. Boil water over medium heat, put the eggs in a steamer basket over the water and cover, and steam them for 12 minutes, for hard boiled. For this recipe, I did 8 minutes, which was about right.
And the result? The mayo was great. The combo was...well, uninspiring, to both the testers in my household. Let us know what you think. But I am going to roast some asparagus tonight, to dip into that yummy mayo!
RECIPE: L’oeuf Mayonnaise
Boil eggs so that the yolk stays jammy, by steaming them over gently boiling water for about 8 minutes. Plunge in ice water briefly, then peel. Leave them whole or cut in half.
Put eggs on a plate and glaze with homemade mayonnaise (I just plopped it on, as my mayo turned out very thick). Top with snipped chives, or other toppings as desired.
For the mayonnaise:
- 1 pasteurized egg, plus 1 yolk
- 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- a dash of black pepper and cayenne
- 1 cup oil (I used half canola and half olive oil)
- Optional: add fresh herbs if you like, or stir in minced shallots at the end.
Add all ingredients except oil to a blender, mix until well blended. Then add the oil in a slow steady stream. It's delicious as a salad dressing, a dip for vegetables, or to top sliced tomatoes. Or eggs!
Favorite READS: Does everyone know Henri, le Chat Noir? If not, you really must meet him. He is quite the French (and Anglo) celebrity, and although I've read his little book over and over (it lives in my powder room), it never fails to crack me up. Henri is a cat with existential angst, in the French manner. He is also a youtube star, and you can get started on his videos here.
And our reader Anne Marie recommends Perestroika In Paris for animal lovers. That would be me! Here is a review of Jane Smiley's book at NPR.
