Sauce Gribiche

Lower eggs gently into boiling water and cook for exactly 11 minutes. Transfer immediately to an ice bath for 5 minutes — this stops carryover cooking and makes peeling easier. Peel under cold running water. Halve each egg and carefully lift the yolks out whole. Set the whites aside on a cutting board. The yolks should be fully set but still waxy in the center, not chalky or crumbly.

Press the egg yolks through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, or mash them very thoroughly with a fork until absolutely no lumps remain — any lump will create a grainy break-point in the emulsion. Add the Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar. Season with salt. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth, thick, and completely homogeneous — it will look like a very stiff, pale-yellow paste.

Working exactly as for a mayonnaise: begin adding the neutral oil in a thin, steady trickle while whisking constantly. The first 30 ml is critical — add it drop by drop to establish the emulsion. Once the mixture turns thick and opaque and the whisk leaves furrow-marks, you can add the remaining oil in a thin, steady stream. Total whisking time is 3–4 minutes. Do not rush the oil addition.

Finely chop the reserved egg whites to a rough 5 mm dice — not a fine mince, you want texture. Using a rubber spatula, fold the chopped egg whites, capers, cornichon rounds, parsley, tarragon, and chervil into the emulsion base. Fold gently with a scooping motion from the bottom of the bowl — you want even distribution without deflating the sauce. Taste and correct: more vinegar if it needs lift, more salt if it tastes flat. Serve at room temperature within an hour of making.