French egg mayo has a Dutch ambassador
Dutch culinary journalist Mara Grimm has officially been appointed ambassador of the organisation l’ASOM. This French organisation aims to save the French cult dish oeuf mayonnaise from extinction. Oeuf mayonnaise – basically just egg with mayo – is a French starter making an impressive comeback as a cult dish.
To begin with: eggs with mayonnaise? Huh? Yes, the famous French starter oeuf mayonnaise is nothing more or less than hard-boiled eggs with mayonnaise. But that’s how it works in France: perfect eggs, perfectly cooked, with perfect homemade mayonnaise—not simply a white bouncy ball with a dollop of Remia.
ASOM in action
The typical bistro dish was in danger of fading into obscurity in French cuisine, until culinary critic Claude Lebey founded l’Association de Sauvegarde de l’Oeuf Mayonnaise (l’ASOM) in the 1980s: the association dedicated to saving egg with mayonnaise. Part of that rescue effort was an annual dinner at which all kinds of versions of the dish were tasted. Lebey died in 2017, but his grandson has taken over the reins and now organises an annual world championship for egg with mayonnaise.
World egg mayo championship
In her column in Parool, Mara Grimm writes that she was asked about a year ago to become an ambassador for the association. A great honour! As ambassador, she is also immediately part of the world championship jury. Unfortunately, this year’s annual tasting of eggs with mayonnaise will not take place, but Mara is not despairing: the championship is not going anywhere, and the cult dish has also made its way onto menus in Amsterdam—for example, it is served at Café Restaurant Amsterdam and Buffet van Odette.
Four hundred oeufs mayo a day
The dying starter has also been given a new lease of life in France: by now, it is back on the menu at every self-respecting bistro. Last year’s egg mayo championship winner, Bouillon Pigalle in Paris (see photo), now sells four hundred oeufs mayo a day.
Image: lebey.com
