How to Make Gribiche Dressing

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: October 12, 2021

You're probably familiar with common dressings, like mayonnaise and tartar sauce. Gribiche dressing is another simple sauce that's traditionally served with cold meats and vegetables. Unlike mayonnaise, gribiche dressing is made using hard-boiled eggs that are combined with mustard, vinegar, herbs, and cornichons (or gherkins). Once you've seen how simple it is to make gribiche dressing, you'll want to serve it with a variety of meats, vegetables, and seafood.

Ingredients

2 hard-boiled eggs
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 cup (236 ml) sunflower or canola oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon chopped chervil
1 tablespoon chopped cornichons

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:
Preparing the Gribiche Dressing

1
Hard-boil the eggs. Get out two eggs and put them into a small saucepan. Cover the eggs with cold water and turn the heat on to medium-high. Once the water boils, turn off the heat and put the lid on the pot. Let the eggs stay in the pan for 12 minutes. They'll finish cooking and then you can drain the water.^{[1]
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- If you'd like to save time, you could purchase eggs that have already been hard-boiled and peeled.
2
Peel and separate the eggs. Once the hard-boiled eggs have cooled to room temperature, peel them and discard the shells. Rinse the eggs and slice them in half, so you can separate the yolks and whites.^{[2]
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- It's important to have the eggs at room temperature. This will help the dressing emulsify (blend together) easier.
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3
Press the yolks through a sieve. Place the egg yolks in a small mesh sieve over a large prep bowl. Use a spoon to press the yolks through the sieve, so they become light and fluffy. Set this aside while you prepare the rest of the dressing ingredients.^{[3]
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- If you don't have a mesh sieve, you can just combine the egg yolks with a fork although the yolks may still be a little lumpy.
4
Chop the egg whites. Place the egg whites on a cutting board and chop them into fine pieces. If you'd like a chunkier dressing, you can keep the pieces larger. Set the bowl of chopped egg whites aside.^{[4]
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5
Season the sieved egg yolks. Sprinkle salt and fresh ground pepper into the bowl with the sieved egg yolks. Add one teaspoon of Dijon mustard and one teaspoon of white wine vinegar. Use a whisk to combine the egg yolk mixture until it's smooth.^{[5]
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- You can use your favorite vinegar for a slightly different flavor.
6
Whisk in the oil. Moisten a kitchen towel and wrap it around the base of your bowl, so the bowl is steady. Slowly pour in 1 cup (236 ml) of sunflower or canola oil while you constantly whisk the dressing. The dressing will start to thicken as it emulsifies.^{[6]
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- If you add the oil too quickly, it will separate and float to the top.
7
Season the dressing. Set the dressing base aside while you chop the seasonings. Chop a few capers, cornichons, and chervil. You could also use your favorite herbs (like parsley or tarragon). Add the chopped egg whites into the dressing. Stir in these seasonings and adjust the gribiche dressing according to your taste:^{[7]
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- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon chopped chervil
- 1 tablespoon chopped gherkin
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:
Using Gribiche Dressing

1
Spread the dressing on cold meats. Gribiche dressing is traditionally served with cold meats. This means you can prepare the meat in advance, so it has a chance to chill or you can use leftover cuts of meat. Meats that go well with gribiche dressing include:^{[8]
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- Leg of lamb
- Roasted chicken
- Rare roast beef
- Turkey breast
2
Serve the gribiche dressing with vegetables. You can dollop the gribiche dressing over cold or hot vegetables. Or set the gribiche dressing on the side, so guests can help themselves. Gribiche works especially well with roasted asparagus and potatoes.^{[9]
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- For example, serve gribiche dressing with crispy potatoes or potato salad. You could also drizzle it over roasted carrots or turnips.
- Keep in mind that gribiche dressing is usually too overpowering for delicate vegetables or greens (like salads).
3
Offer the gribiche with seafood. Since gribiche dressing is similar to tartar sauce, it tastes great with seafood. You could serve it with crispy fish or a roasted fillet. Set it out when you serve crab cakes or boiled shrimp.
- Use your favorite seafood. For example, you can try salmon, halibut, or flounder.
4
Store the gribiche dressing. Try to use the gribiche dressing right after you've made it. If you need to store it or you have leftover dressing, place the dressing in an airtight container. Refrigerate the gribiche dressing for up to a day.
- If you store the dressing for more than a day, it may separate and lose its texture.
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