flipHard-boiled eggs with mayonnaise from the counter
Hard-boiled eggs with mayonnaise from the counter
Why this dish? Beauvoir ate simply and quickly, prioritizing practicality; the egg mayonnaise placed under a glass dome on the zinc counter of Parisian cafés was the typical snack for those who sat down to write for hours, as she did at the Flore.
Hard-boiled eggs coated in homemade mayonnaise, the humblest and most Parisian dish of all: eaten standing up or at a marble table, between two pages of a manuscript.
I never made cooking a serious business — eating had to be quick so the mind could stay free. At the Flore, I would order an egg mayonnaise without even looking up from my papers; it was served under its little glass bell, within arm's reach. The mayonnaise, you see, is made with patience and a single oil, drop by drop, otherwise it curdles. It was my worker's meal: neat, sufficient, and demanding nothing of me but to keep writing.
- •Fresh farm eggs — 4 (base)
- •Peanut or sunflower oil — one bowl (body of mayonnaise)
- •Dijon mustard — one spoonful (binder and sharpness)
- •Wine vinegar — a dash (acidity)
- •Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Hard-boiled eggs with mayonnaise from the counter
Hard-boiled eggs coated in homemade mayonnaise, the humblest and most Parisian dish of all: eaten standing up or at a marble table, between two pages of a manuscript.
Why this dish? Beauvoir ate simply and quickly, prioritizing practicality; the egg mayonnaise placed under a glass dome on the zinc counter of Parisian cafés was the typical snack for those who sat down to write for hours, as she did at the Flore.
I never made cooking a serious business — eating had to be quick so the mind could stay free. At the Flore, I would order an egg mayonnaise without even looking up from my papers; it was served under its little glass bell, within arm's reach. The mayonnaise, you see, is made with patience and a single oil, drop by drop, otherwise it curdles. It was my worker's meal: neat, sufficient, and demanding nothing of me but to keep writing.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh farm eggs — 4 (base)
- Peanut or sunflower oil — one bowl (body of mayonnaise)
- Dijon mustard — one spoonful (binder and sharpness)
- Wine vinegar — a dash (acidity)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Eggs — 4 (base)
- Extra egg yolk — 1 (emulsion for mayonnaise)
- Neutral oil (sunflower) — 200 ml (body of mayonnaise)
- Dijon mustard — 1 tsp (binder)
- Wine vinegar or lemon juice — 1 tsp (acidity)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Plunge the eggs into boiling water for 9 minutes, then cool them under cold water and shell them.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the mustard, salt and pepper.
- Pour the oil in a very thin stream while whisking continuously, until a firm mayonnaise forms.
- Loosen with vinegar or lemon juice, adjust seasoning.
- Cut the eggs in half, arrange on a plate and generously coat with mayonnaise.
How it was made : In 20th-century Parisian cafés and bouillons, hard-boiled eggs sat on the counter in a metal egg holder, self-serve or served with a spoonful of mayonnaise. It was the food of employees, students and hurried intellectuals.
The contemporary twist : A pinch of smoked paprika and a few capers to wake up the simplicity of the zinc, served on an old chipped bistro plate.
Simone de Beauvoir · Charactorium
