History

The dish appears on Parisian bouillon menus from the 1880s, when the workers' canteens of Les Halles needed a sub-€1 starter. By 1955 it was standard at every Paris bistro and brasserie. The Association de Sauvegarde de l'Œuf Mayonnaise (ASOM), founded 1990 by Claude Lebey, runs an annual contest in the city for the best version, judged on the firmness of the egg yolk (just-set, not chalky), the consistency of the mayonnaise (it should coat the back of a spoon), and the proportions. Bouillon Chartier serves the bistro template at €3.20; Bistrot Paul Bert's version with extra-virgin oil mayonnaise is the editorial benchmark.

Common allergens: Egg

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 25 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 large free-range eggs, at room temperature
  • For the mayonnaise: 1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 250ml sunflower oil, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, sea salt, white pepper
  • Optional finishing: 1 tablespoon snipped chives
  • 4 leaves butterhead lettuce, washed and dried

Method

  1. Bring the eggs to a rolling boil in a small pan of water. Cook for exactly 9 minutes for a just-set yolk, then plunge into iced water for 5 minutes to stop the cook.
  2. For the mayonnaise: whisk the yolk, mustard, vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Pour the oil in a slow steady drizzle while whisking continuously, until the sauce is thick and pale.
  3. Adjust the mayonnaise: thin with a teaspoon of warm water if too stiff; add a few extra drops of vinegar to brighten.
  4. Peel the eggs carefully under a thin stream of cold water. Halve each egg lengthways.
  5. Lay a leaf of lettuce on each plate, set two egg halves cut-side-up on top, spoon mayonnaise generously over to cover the whites and pool around the edges.
  6. Scatter snipped chives across the top and serve with toasted baguette.

Tip from the editors. The mayonnaise must thicken: if it loosens, start again with a fresh yolk and whisk the broken sauce in slowly.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat œuf mayonnaise

Œuf mayonnaise in Paris

Bouillon Chartier ★ 4.0

Bouillon Chartier in Paris is the 1896 workers' brasserie still plating œuf mayonnaise at €3 and a full bistro 3-course set under €18, no reservation, no shortcut.

Try: Three-course bistro classics

Tip: Queue moves fast. Arrive at 11:30 lunch or 18:30 dinner for the first wave of seating.

7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris

Bistrot Paul Bert ★ 4.4

French bistro€€11e

Bistrot Paul Bert is Paris's textbook bistro: zinc bar, chalkboard menu, steak frites cooked rare with hand-cut fries, île flottante for two on a single platter.

Signature: Steak frites, Île flottante

Order: Steak frites cooked saignant, île flottante for two, a pichet of house red.

Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book two weeks ahead for a weeknight or take the 19:30 first seating.

18 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris

Bouillon Pigalle ★ 4.1

Until Open until 00:00

Bouillon Pigalle in Paris pours classic bouillon dishes until midnight. The room seats 300; the wait is shorter after 22:00 and the price holds through the night.

Try: Bouillon classics

Tip: After 22:30 the queue thins. Order onion soup, steak tartare and île flottante for the late triple.

22 Boulevard de Clichy, 75018 Paris

Le Petit Vendôme ★ 4.3

Le Petit Vendôme in Paris pulls baguette tradition split lengthwise, butter and Bayonne ham, for under €6. The classic Parisian counter sandwich, Monday to Friday.

Try: Jambon-beurre

Tip: Closed weekends. Take the sandwich to the Tuileries gardens five minutes south by foot.

8 Rue des Capucines, 75002 Paris

More cities are in research. Want œuf mayonnaise covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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