To most of us, it’s nothing more than a humble little sandwich filling, rustled up easily and without much thought when unexpected guests drop by. But to the French, egg mayo is very much a star of the bistro scene – and there’s a right (and wrong!) way to make it.
So seriously is the art of oeuf mayo taken that an annual international competition is held by the Association de Sauvegarde de l’Oeuf Mayo to celebrate the best in show.
And this year, Maxime Plateau, chef at Au Moulin à Vent in Paris’ 5th, was named World Champion of Egg Mayo. Those in the know reckon it may have been the pickled red cabbage perched atop his halved eggs, which were then covered in mayonnaise, that clinched the deal.
“It’s the culmination of the year’s work,” Plateau told BFM TV. Want to try it for yourself? Au Moulin à Vent offers the dish for just €6.
The Association pour la Sauvegarde de l’Oeuf Mayonnaise (ASOM) was founded by food critic Claude Lebey, who died in 2017. He revealed that he thought the secret to a good egg mayo was not overcooking the eggs which, when halved, must be perfectly covered in mayo – homemade, of course.
The contest, which can only be entered by chefs who have egg mayo on their establishment’s menu, has been running for 14 years and every year, the top spot has been taken by a Parisian. So now you know where to go if you have a hankering for egg mayonnaise!
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