Whether you’re making lunch for yourself or feeding a crowd, this recipe delivers big flavor with very little fuss.

I’m very excited to share one of my absolute favorite French classics with you today: a simple, flavorful French egg salad that I make constantly. It’s a no-fuss recipe, but don’t let that fool you—it’s bursting with bold, briny, herby goodness.

This version is how we typically enjoy it in France: creamy and chunky, with all the right accents—think sharp Dijon mustard, crunchy cornichons, and punchy little capers. It comes together in about 20 minutes, with just a bit of chopping and no fancy steps.

I especially love making this in the spring and summer, when green onions and fresh herbs are at their best. It’s light, fresh, and perfect for picnics, lazy lunches, or as a chic little starter on toast.

What is a French Egg Salad?

The French version of egg salad avoids overly creamy or overly sweet ingredients (like sweet relish) focusing instead on balance, acidity, and fresh herbs. It traditionally features eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, cornichons (small French dill pickles) and capers. 

It’s the kind of dish you’ll find on a Parisian café menu, served as a starter with a slice of good bread. It is also popular in “bouillons” – those traditional French eateries known for no-frill meals at low prices.

That said, it’s just as lovely tucked into a sandwich, spooned over toast, or packed into a picnic basket for a sunny day outdoors. It’s elegant, simple, and deeply flavorful—perfect with a glass of chilled white wine.

Ingredients you need for this French Egg Salad recipe

• Eggs. You need 5 large eggs for this recipe.
• Mayonnaise. After testing the recipe several times, I find the perfect ratio is 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise for 1 egg. This yields a creamy texture, without overpowering the other ingredients. So, you’ll need 5 tablespoons of mayonnaise for this recipe.
• Dijon mustard. A must! One tablespoon of Dijon mustard gives a tangy kick and a signature French flavor to this egg salad.
• Green onion. One green onion sliced finely adds a nice tang and crunch.
• Cornichons. These tart, pickled cucumbers are much smaller than your average American pickle. They are very popular in France and can be found in most grocers. In the US, you can find them near mustards and mayonnaises. I recommend the Maille brand. They add such a nice acidity and crunch!
• Capers. For briny sharpness!
• Seasonings. This egg salad is seasoned with salt, black pepper and pinch of smoked paprika. I love the hint of smokiness from the paprika, which cuts through the richness of the mayonnaise dressing. As another option, a pinch of curry powder is delicious too.
• Fresh Herbs. I love a mix of fresh parsley and chive, but feel free to swap for other fresh herbs like basil, dill, chervil or tarragon when in season. About 4 tablespoons of herbs add a great amount of freshness that makes this egg salad feels on the lighter side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I prepare it ahead?

Yes, this salad is actually even better when it sits in the fridge for 1 or 2 hours. It allows for all the flavors and textures to set, and for the salad to be well chilled. Make sure it is packed in an airtight container.

This egg salad lasts for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Can I use other fresh herbs?

Yes absolutely. Parsley and chive are traditionally used in this salad, but feel free to use other herbs, as long as they’re fresh. Dill, basil and tarragon work especially well here!

How to serve this egg salad?

In France, this egg salad is usually enjoyed as a small starter, but I must say my favorite way to enjoy it is in a baguette with juicy slices of tomatoes. You can also enjoy it on crisp toasts, as an open-faced sandwich on soft Pain de mie or rye bread, on rice crackers, in lettuce wraps or as a small side with celery and carrot sticks.

Do you have a favorite way to enjoy egg salad? Feel free to share it in the comments!

I hope you’ll love this classic French Egg Salad recipe as much as I do. If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More French Salads to try: 

• Green Bean Potato Salad
• French-style Rice and Tuna Salad
• French Grated Carrot Salad (Carottes rapées)
• French-style Potato Salad
• Piemontaise Potato Salad
• Frisée Salad with bacon, eggs and croutons (Salade Lyonnaise)
• Classic French Lentil Salad 
• Cucumber Salad with crème fraiche
• Classic French Celery Root Remoulade
• Classic Parisian Salad (Salade Parisienne)
• French Lentil Salad with tomatoes and cucumbers
• Authentic Niçoise Salad
• Warm Goat Cheese Salad

French Egg Salad

Print Recipe

Serves: 2-4 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.7/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

5 large eggs, at room temperature
5 tbsp (70g) mayonnaise
1 tbsp (14g) Dijon mustard
1 green onion, finely chopped
5 cornichons, chopped
1 tbsp brined capers, drained
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp fresh parsley, stemmed and finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh chive, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Make the hard-boiled eggs. Add eggs to a saucepan. Cover with water by 1 inch (2,5cm) and bring to a rapid boil. Boil for 1 minute and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the eggs from the water and rinse under cold water.
2. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, chopped green onion, chopped cornichons, capers, salt, black pepper, paprika, parsley and chive. Stir to combine.
3. Peel the eggs and chop them roughly. I like to keep larger chunks. Add the chopped eggs to the dressing and stir gently until they’re just coated. Do not over stir. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (salt, pepper, paprika).
4. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy with baguette, toasted bread slices or in lettuce wraps.

The post French Egg Salad appeared first on Pardon Your French.

What type of potatoes are best for this salad?

I recommend you make this salad with any type of small new potatoes, waxy red-skinned or even fingerling potatoes. They all keep their shape very well once cooked, which is exactly what we want here. 

Alternatively, you can also use Yukon gold potatoes. They are right in-between starchy and waxy, which makes them suitable for this recipe.

However, you may need to cook them 1 or 2 minutes less, as they don’t hold their shape quite as well. Look for Yukon gold potatoes on the smaller side.

For convenience (and less pots to wash!), the potatoes and green beans are cooked together. Cook the potatoes until you can poke a knife in them – but they shouldn’t be too soft yet. Add the green beans and cook for just 2 extra minutes until the beans are cooked, yet still crisp and bright green.

You should then immediately transfer the potatoes and green beans into a large bowl filled with ice-water (cold water, ideally with a handful of ice-cubes too).

This step serves 2 purposes. First, it will immediately stop the cooking process of the potatoes and beans, ensuring they don’t turn “mushy”. Secondly, this blanches the green beans – meaning, it keeps their bright green color.

How to make perfect hard-boiled eggs

The main protein to this salad recipe is hard-boiled eggs. These are perfect to spruce up any summer salad and make them more substantial. They are also great to make if hosting, as you can prepare them up to 7 days ahead and keep them in the fridge (in the shell, unpeeled).

For making perfect hard-boiled eggs, my favorite technique is perhaps the most classic way: with boiling water, in a saucepan.

Here is my go-to process: 

1. Add eggs to an empty saucepan.
2. Cover the eggs with room temperature water by 1 inch.
3. Turn the heat to high and bring the water to a rapid boil.
4. Boil for exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat immediately.
5. Cover with a lid and let rest for 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes mark, carefully take the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and run under cold water for 1 minute. I find it easier to peel the eggs until running water too.

Can you make this salad ahead?

Yes! This salad is even better if you let it sit for several hours to allow the flavors the develop. This is an ideal dish to make ahead if you’re planning on hosting guests, to save some time in the kitchen. 

You can prepare and assemble the whole salad up to one day before and let it sit in your fridge. You can also prepare the potatoes, the green beans and the eggs on one side, and prepare the vinaigrette on the other side, and toss everything together a few hours prior to serving.

How to store this French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad

After making and enjoying this Potato and Green Bean Salad – if you have any leftovers – you can store them in the refrigerator

• Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 1 day. Because this salad includes hard-boiled eggs, I don’t recommend keeping it any longer. If you made this salad without the eggs, you can keep it for up to 3-4 days.
• I don’t recommend freezing it, as the flavors and texture can tend to be off once defrosted and the dressing will likely separate. 

Common Questions:

Can I remove the skin from the potatoes for this recipe?

Of course you can! But it’s a lot more work. The skin on small potatoes are very thin and are honestly best left on. But the choice is, of course, yours!

What other herbs could I use in place of parsley and chive for this recipe?

I strongly recommend you stick to parsley and chives for this salad recipe. They are mild tasting herbs that allow the other ingredients to shine, specifically the olives and the capers. 

What type of olives can I use?

For this recipe, I highly recommend you use dry salt-cured olives, also known as brined olives. You can find these full-flavored, “wrinkled” olives in virtually any grocery store. They are usually sold in jars, or even vacuum packed.

I don’t like capers. Can I omit them?

Yes, if you would like. You can use 2 tablespoons of black olives, instead of 1 tablespoon of black olives and 1 tablespoon of capers.

I hope you’ll love this French-Style Potato Green Bean Salad as much as I do! This recipe is enough for 4 people and easy scalable to make for 8, or just 2 people. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. 

More French salad recipes: 

• Classic French Lentil Salad
• Classic French Celery Root Remoulade
• Cucumber Salad with Crème Fraiche
• Frisée Salad with Bacon, Egg and Croutons (Salade Lyonnaise)
• Pickled Herring and Potato Salad (Harengs Marinés Pommes à l’Huile)
• Classic French-Style Potato Salad
• French-Style Couscous Salad (Taboulé)

French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad

Print Recipe

Serves: 4-6 people Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.6/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

2 eggs, hard-boiled (instruction below)
2lbs (900g) new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 tbsp salt
1lb (450g) green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
12 black olives (dry cured)
4-5 sprigs fresh flat parsley, stemmed and chopped
4-5 sprigs chives, chopped

For the vinaigrette:
1/3 cup (75ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp (30ml) lemon juice
2 tbsp (30ml) white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp chopped capers
1 tbsp chopped black olives (dry cured)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Step 1 – Make the hard boiled eggs.  Add eggs to a saucepan. Cover with water by 1 inch and bring to a rapid boil. Boil for 1 minute and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Carefully removed eggs from the water and rinse under cold water. Once cooled, peel the eggs under running cool water and slice into quarters.

Step 2 – Slice the small potatoes in half, or in quarters if larger. Place them in a large pot and cover by 1 inch with water. Add 1 tbsp of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 12 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not completely cooked.  Add the green beans and continue to boil for another 2-3 minutes, until the beans are crisp and you can easily poke a knife into the potatoes. Drain immediately into a colander/strainer and transfer into a large bowl of ice-cold water. This is meant to stop the cooking process and retain the bright green color of the beans.

Step 3 – Make the vinaigrette. In a jar, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, chopped capers, chopped black olives, salt and black pepper. Shake well to combine.

Step 4 – In a serving bowl, add the herbs and mix with about half the amount of the vinaigrette. Add the cooked potatoes, green beans and olives and toss to combine. Top with the egg quarters and drizzle the remaining dressing over top (you may use all the rest of the dressing, or less). Season to taste, if needed.

The salad gets even better after 24 hours because it soaks up the flavors of the dressing. Enjoy room temperature or cold.

The post French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad appeared first on Pardon Your French.

This delightful dish is on the table in just 20 minutes, making the most of asparagus season.

What is a Grenobloise sauce?

A Grenobloise sauce, as its name suggests, is a specialty hailing from the French town of Grenoble. This classic French sauce is made of brown butter, lemon, capers, fresh parsley and croutons.

It is a buttery and tangy sauce that is often served with white fish (sole, skate fish, cod or salmon), seafood (scallops, shrimps) and to spruce up seasonal white asparagus – one of my favorite ways to enjoy it!

Making brown butter (beurre-noisette)

Known in French as “beurre-noisette”, brown butter is one of the key components of a Grenobloise sauce. So, let’s take a moment to discuss it… 

Brown butter is melted butter, with an improved flavor brought on by gently cooking it until it reaches a golden-brown color. Used regularly in both French cooking (sauces, etc.) and baking (financiers, madeleines, etc.), brown butter gives delectable nutty flavors to any recipe. It’s important you take the time to make brown butter properly for this recipe. Do not skip this step, you won’t regret it. 

For the butter, try and find a European-style one with a higher fat content than typical US/Canadian butters. 

How to make brown-butter (beurre-noisette)

1. In a small saucepan, melt your butter over medium-low heat, whisking frequently. Once all melted, the butter will start to simmer and foam. This takes 3-4 minutes. 
2. Eventually the butter will stop foaming. Keep a close eye on it and watch for golden specks to form at the bottom of the pan. Smell the butter for nutty aromas. This should take about 4-5 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and pour the butter into a cold bowl to stop the cooking process. For this Grenobloise sauce, instead of pouring the butter into a bowl, cold lemon juice is added to the pan, which stops the cooking process as well.

Be careful, as it’s easy to go from brown-butter to burnt-butter. If you think you’ve over-cooked or burned the butter, do not overthink it. Dump it and start again. Burnt butter is terrible for your health and tastes just as bad.

White asparagus at my local farmers’ market in Brittany, France.

How to store (uncooked) asparagus?

I think asparagus always taste better when you cook them the day you buy them. Asparagus are indeed a flowering plant, which are quite delicate and more impacted by passing time than your regular vegetable.

If you are not planning on cooking your asparagus the day you buy them, you can always store them just like cut flowers. Cut off one inch from the bottoms and place the stems in a large glass or vase, with water at the bottom. For optimum storage, cover the tops with a small plastic bag and place in the fridge.

For more details on how to store asparagus so they stay fresh and crisp, I recommend this article from the blog Foolproof living. It gives instructions for short-term storage (1-2 days) and long-term storage (up to 5 days).

How to peel asparagus?

The first step to enjoying asparagus, either green or white, is to peel them. Especially for white asparagus which are very fibrous. Peeling them is a must!

To do so, use a vegetable peeler and remove the peel starting from the base of the tip to the bottom of the spear. The asparagus head remains untouched.

White asparagus are usually thick and strong enough that you don’t need to worry about breaking them. For thinner green asparagus, you can place the asparagus over your hand to support them while peeling and make sure they won’t break.

Can I prepare this dish ahead of time?

To save time, you can prepare and cook the asparagus hours ahead and simply let the asparagus rest covered in a plate. Before serving, you can prepare the Grenobloise sauce and then place it over top your asparagus. The sauce should not be made in advance.

How to store leftovers?  

After making and enjoying White Asparagus à la Grenobloise– if you have any leftovers – you can store them in the refrigerator.

Let the dish cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy leftovers cold or reheat your portions in the microwave.

Notes:

• Use Organic Lemons. Because we are using zest from the peels, I recommend to use organic lemons which are pesticide free.
• Curly or flat parsley both work well for a Grenobloise sauce.

I hope you’ll love this White Asparagus à la Grenobloise recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More French starter recipes you may like: 

• Green asparagus with Gribiche Sauce 
• Classic French Salmon Rillettes
• Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Poivronade) 
• French Cheese Puffs (Gougeres)
• Leeks with Dijon Shallots Vinaigrettes (Poireaux Vinaigrette) 
• French-Style Potato Salad 

White Asparagus à la Grenobloise

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

About 20 white asparagus
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup (76g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup cubed day-old bread, such as a baguette, or any French or Italian crusty loaf
¼ tsp salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
5 tbsp (about 37.5g) mini capers
6-7 sprigs curly parsley, stemmed and chopped.
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 

Instructions

Step 1 – Peel the asparagus using a vegetable peeler (see above instructions) and snap the woody ends off the base (about 2 inches).

Step 2 - Add the asparagus to a pan of boiling water with salt. Simmer for 10-12 minutes.

Step 3 – In the meantime, prepare the Grenobloise sauce. Drain the capers and set aside on a paper towel.

Step 4 – Cut the bread into small cubes. Heat up a large frying pan over medium-heat up with 1 ½ tbsp (20g) butter, the bread and salt. When the butter starts sizzling, continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the bread cubs are golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan. The croutons will crisp up as they cool.

Step 5 – Add the rest of the butter to the pan, on medium-heat. When it turns “noisette” (see instructions above in the article), turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, zest, capers and parsley. Stir.

Step 6 – Drain the asparagus and place them onto a serving dish. Pour the butter and lemon sauce over top and sprinkle with the croutons. Season with black pepper and serve immediately.

The post White Asparagus à la Grenobloise appeared first on Pardon Your French.

What is “Cod Provençal”?

Not a specific recipe, “Provençal” refers to the style of cooking that hails from the sun-kissed region of Provence, in Southern France. The Provençal style is often used for preparing chicken or fish, and consists of using the staple ingredients found in the region: extra-virgin olive oil, sun-ripped tomatoes and garlic, olives from the local orchards, and herbs such as thyme, parsley and/or a mix (Herbes de Provence). 

There likely exists as many variants of “Provençal” recipes as there are families in Provence. The main ingredients are always there (EVOO, olives, garlic, tomatoes, herbs) but other ingredients can be added for extra flavor: wine, capers, bell peppers, lemon quarters, artichoke hearts, anchovies, etc. 

For this version of Cod Provençal, I chose to keep things simple to let the delicate cod loins shine and opted for the use of juicy ripe tomatoes, salty black olives and capers and a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat. 

If you would like to taste another take on this “Provençal” cooking style, check out my Chicken Provençal with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes. 

Common Questions:

Can I use a different fish than Cod for this recipe?

While Cod is the traditional fish used in this recipe, you can substitute with haddock, hake, cusk, tilapia, pollock, striped bass, or white sea bass. Just be aware that each fish has different textures and may be more delicate than the cod.

I’m not a fan of olives and/or capers, can I still make this dish?

Olives and capers bring important Mediterranean flavors and aromas to the dish. But yes, they can be left out. This will alter the flavor of the dish quite a bit. I’d suggest leaving a few still in there and I’m confident you’ll still enjoy the dish!

Would dried salted cod work in this recipe?

Absolutely, provided you’ve properly soaked and rehydrated the fish. Be aware that this method typically makes for a saltier dish (and this dish is already a touch on the salty side). Just something to be aware of!

Can I replace the fresh herbs with dried herbs?

Fresh herbs are best for this recipe. But of course I think using dried Thyme would make for a fine substitute. I would however keep away from using dried parsley for this dish. It has none of the same characteristics as its fresh counterpart. 

How to store this Cod Provençal ? 

After making and enjoying this Cod Provençal recipe, if you have any leftovers,  you can store them in the refrigerator or the freezer. 

• In the refrigerator: let the the dish cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat your portions on the stovetop or in the microwave.
• In the freezer: let the dish cool completely and store it in a (freezer-friendly) airtight container and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, you can let the dish thaw in the fridge before heating it through on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Cooking notes:

• For this recipe, you will need a pan with a fitted lid. 
• Fresh cod loins are best, but you can use frozen cod loins too. Make sure they are fully thawed before you start cooking them.
• For the black olives, good variety choices are Nyon, Kalamata and Niçoise. I prefer using olives with pits as they are more flavorful and will also impart more flavor to the sauce. But for convenience, you can opt for pitted olives
• Choose ripe tomatoes (slightly soft to the touch). Good varieties are Red Beefsteak, Roma and Heirloom. 
• Caper buds or berries both work in this recipe. 
• You can skip on the red pepper flakes if you don’t want the sauce to have a spicy kick.

More Provençal recipes to enjoy: 

• Classic French stove-top Ratatouille 
• Chilled Zucchini Mint Soup 
• Crustless Quiche with Summer Vegetables 
• Classic Vegetable Tian from Provence
• Roasted Red Pepper Dip from Provence
• Classic French Tomato Mustard Tart
• Swiss Chard Pancakes (Farçous) 

I hope you’ll love this Cod Provençal with Tomatoes, Capers and Olives recipe as much as I do! Serve it with rice, and be sure to have crusty bread on-hand for sopping up the beautiful sauce.

Cod Provençal with Tomatoes, Capers and Olives

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.3/5

( 38 voted )

Ingredients

2 tbsp (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and sliced in half rounds
2 large tomatoes (or 3 medium), ripened and diced into small cubes
6-7 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed (+ extra for garnish) 
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
15-20 black olives (preferably pitted)
10-15 caper berries (or 2 tbsp capers)
4 cod loins
½ lemon, juiced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Step 1 - Heat up the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion is slightly softened and translucent.

Step 2 - Add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, red pepper flakes, pepper and salt, and cook for 10-12 minutes (lid on), stirring occasionally until the tomato is soft.

Step 3 -Stir in the olives and capers.

Step 4 - On a clean working surface, drizzle the cod loins with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper on both side. Nestle in the cod loin in the pan, on top of the sauce. Garnish cod loins with tiny thyme sprigs (optional). Close the lid and cook for about 5 minutes, until the cod is just cooked through.

Season cod with salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes to taste (optional). Serve immediately. 

The post Cod Provençal with Tomatoes, Capers and Olives appeared first on Pardon Your French.

This tapenade is packed with salty flavors and a concentrated of the Mediterranean. It’s such a beloved spread (not only in Provence but all throughout France) that you can find it in most markets across the country. In fact, I am pretty sure I have never visited a market in France that did not have an olive stall with giant vasts of tapenade (be it in Brittany, Paris, Alsace or elsewhere). People like to buy little containers of this spread, but I feel this is too simple of a recipe to not make at home.

Its name comes from the Provencal word for capers, “tapenas”. Capers are certainly part of the recipe, but it is the olives that are the star of the show here. Nowadays, you’ll find many variations of this recipe: with green olives, hot peppers, dried fruits, tuna, nuts, different herbs, etc… But this black olive tapenade is the simplest, most original take (and the best, in my humble opinion).

Some classic recipes call for anchovies too, but I feel they are not essential here – neither for the texture nor the taste. The black olives and capers alone provide a very, very generous amount of saltiness (that needs to be cut with the juice of a whole lemon).

As an appetizer, it’s best enjoyed with simple crostini (it’s so flavourfull that you don’t need anything else here). But then again, it also makes a wonderful condiment to bring amazing flavours to any entrée (ie. rub it under the skin of a chicken before roasting it or use it as a pasta sauce).

The olives

The olives you’ll want to use for a classic tapenade are the small, almost purplish Nicoise olives, which can be found in most grocery stores (usually at the deli counter). As a substitute, kalamata olives work great too.

The equipment

As per tradition, a tapenade should be made by hand in a mortar and pestle. I grant the fact this is probably the best way to control the pounding and mashing of the ingredients, to obtain the exact consistency you want. But in our busy lives, I’d say that using a food processor or blender is perfectly acceptable (just be careful not to over-blend the tapenade).

This black olive tapenade is even better the next day, as the flavours have more time to meld and further develop…It’s an ideal dip for preparing ahead, as you can simply pop it out of the fridge before serving (but do allow at least 30 minutes for it to warm up to room temperature before eating).

Black Olive Tapenade and Crostini

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 people Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.7/5

( 7 voted )

Ingredients

For the Crostini:
½ baguette (200g)
2 tbsp Extra vrigin olive oil
2 tsp mixed dried herbs (ie. Herbes de provence)

For the Tapenade:
350g black olives, pitted
1 tbsp brined capers, drained
The juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
A handful of flat parsley leaves (7-8 sprigs)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Prepare the crostini. With a serrated bread knife, slice the baguette into ½ inch-thick slices. Lay the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (do not overlap them). Drizzle with the EVOO and sprinkle evenly with the herbs. Bake for 4 minutes, flip all the slices upside down and bake for 3 more minutes until golden.

Transfer the crostini to a cooling rack and allow to cool for a few minutes.

In the meantine, prepare the tapenade.

Stem and pit the black olives, and wash them thoroughly under cold water.

Place all the tapenade ingredients in a food processor or blender (I used a vitamix). On medium speed, do one-second pulses until all the ingredients are chopped and blended to a coarse paste (do not use the continuous blending button or the tapenade will be too smooth in texture).

Enjoy with the freshly baked crostini.

You can keep the tapenade in a tupperware in the fridge for up to 6-7 days.

If you try this black olive tapenade, let me know! Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram. Bon Appetit!

The post Black Olive Tapenade and Crostini appeared first on Pardon Your French.

And while still today an utter classic, it is one of those concoctions that’s still hard to put a label on … Is it a sauce? A mayonnaise? A dip? A condiment? A relish? I like to think it can be any of them! (I mean, is it important to put a tight label on everything?)

It’s creamy like a mayonnaise, tart like a relish, delicately salty like a sauce and refreshing like a seasonal condiment.

Sauce Gribiche is so versatile, which you can see from all the different ways it can be enjoyed. Classically in French Cuisine, Sauce Gribiche is to be served over a slice of calf’s head (a common French delicatessen find), boiled chicken (hot or cold), a meaty fish (hot or cold, usually mackerel or cod), tripe and meat terrines.

Although, in modern days you’ll probably see it more often served with “crudites” (shredded carrots, shredded celeriac, sliced tomatoes) and as a dressing in a lettuce salad.

My favourite way is to serve it with cooled asparagus (cooked, but they need to have a crunch still).  

It is also delicious in a potato salad or as filling to make deviled eggs. See, so versatile!

Cooking notes:

• The first step for this sauce is the blending of a hard boiled egg yolk with mustard, to the consistency of a paste. This can be done in a mortar and pestle (like I did here) or in a simple bowl using the back of a spoon.
• A classic Sauce Gribiche is made with a bunch of mix chopped herbs, including flat-leaf parsley, chervil and/or tarragon. My own twist is that I like to add dill (instead of tarragon), which I find pairs perfectly with cornichons, eggs and capers.
• The classic French recipe calls for “cornichon” (small French-style sour gerkhins). Here in North America, you can find Maille Cornichons, that taste just like the ones in France. As a substitute, you can use dill pickles.
• If you do not have canola oil or grapeseed oil, you can substitute with extra-virgin olive oil. The taste will be slightly fruitier, but the difference will be really subtle in the end.

If you try this Sauce Gribiche let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram.

Bon Appétit!

Sauce Gribiche on Crisp Asparagus

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 people Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.8/5

( 4 voted )

Ingredients

1 large egg, hard-boiled.
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup canola oil (or grapeseed).
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 cornichon
8 to 10 small capers; drained, rinsed, and squeezed dry
about 1/4 cup (gently-packed) mixed chopped herbs; flat-leaf parsley, chervil, and/or tarragon
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 bunch of fresh asparagus

Instructions

For the sauce:

Peel the egg and separate the egg white from the yolk. Chop the egg whites in tiny cubes. Put the egg yolk, mustard and a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle (or a bowl) and mash together until it becomes a smooth paste.

Transfer to a larger bowl, add the vinegar and then the oil, drop by drop, continuously whisking with a fork as if making mayonnaise. Keep the sauce creamy by adding small amounts of vinegar or warm water, as necessary.

Finish off the sauce by adding the chopped egg whites, cornichons, capers and chopped herbs. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

For the asparagus:

Remove the woody ends, by gently bending the end of each asparagus spear until it snaps naturally.

Add the asparagus to a pan of boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes until bright green, and transfer immediately to an ice-bath. Let sit in the ice-bath for 4-5 minutes, drain and pat the asparagus gently with a paper towel to dry off.

For serving:

Arrange the asparagus on a plate and drop the sauce on top by dollops.

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