Oeufs Mayonnaise: Homemade Mayo and Frizzled Leeks

Spring "egg nest" hors d'oeuvre

Only in France, have I come across hard boiled eggs topped with mayonnaise in the most elegantly plated version of devilled eggs on a menu. Oeufs mayonnaise, a classic bistro dish appears on many French tables before the secondary plats arrive. Uncomplicated, delicious, elevated from many, the oeuf mayo is to be savored — not eaten with your fingers.

I will say, the first time I noticed someone dining upon hard boiled eggs on a sunny Parisian afternoon, I was caught by surprise. In my experience, these little egg bites were more common for picnics, summer cookouts, and Easter luncheons. (In North Carolina, someone is always bringing devilled eggs.) Truthfully, I had never seen a hard boiled egg offered as a course and not just a topping or a salad mix-in outside of such situations. Excluding airports along with a former co-worker who ate them in the office. (so considerate)

Intrigued, my next meal included a glass of Côtes de Provence along with the petite ‘assiette du moment’…a few tangy eggs. Have you ever eaten a hard boiled egg, one bite at a time, occasionally resting your utensils to sip a crisp rosé? Quiet gratification at its best.

Plated face down and cooked to perfection, my oeufs arrived with a luxurious blanket of mayonnaise, a sprinkling of chopped chives, and a basket of house made bread. Let’s be clear this mayo did not come from a jar. When eggs are the star ingredient, someone somewhere is whipping up mayo from scratch.

And for my rendition of this beloved French egg dish, that someone making the mayonnaise is me — or you, if you decide to give it a go. It’s really quite simple, so simply delicious in fact that you’ll be replacing your store bought jar soon.

Now, I may have strayed from familiar plating, but it’s Spring and I thought a little bird’s nest would be fun. To make the egg nest, fried onions would have been too greasy, but frizzled leeks on the other hand are perfectly French, light and crunchy.

To celebrate Spring in addition to my adoration for oeufs de mayonnaise, this version includes hard boiled eggs served yolks up, with homemade garlic shallot mayo, nestled inside a ring of salted crispy frizzled leeks. Enjoy as an appetizer or light lunch. Bon appétit!