Cambridge Sauce for Cold Meats
A vibrant Victorian herb and anchovy emulsion with a piquant kick, crafted to cut through rich cold roast meats.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 190 kcal
Equipment
- •Small saucepan
- •Mortar and pestle or mini food processor
- •Fine sieve
- •Measuring spoons
- •Small mixing bowl
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- fat
- 20 g
- carbs
- 1 g
- fibre
- 0.5 g
- protein
- 3 g
- calories
- 190 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Lower the whole eggs into a small pan of boiling water and cook for 9 minutes.
- 2
Cool the eggs under running cold water, peel them, and scoop out the hard yolks.
- 3
Place the cooked yolks into a mortar or mini food processor bowl.
- 4
Add the chopped anchovy fillets, capers, and chopped cornichons to the yolks.
- 5
Pound or blitz until the mixture forms a coarse, uniform paste.
- 6
Add the parsley, tarragon, chives, chervil, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper.
- 7
Work the mixture until the herbs are broken down and evenly combined.
- 8
Drizzle in the olive oil very slowly while beating continuously to form a thick emulsion.
- 9
Stir in the tarragon vinegar gradually until the sauce turns glossy.
- 10
Press the sauce through a fine sieve using a wooden spoon for a silky finish.
Chef's tips
For the smoothest texture, ensure the egg yolks are thoroughly mashed before adding oil. Pour the olive oil in a steady, thin stream so the sauce does not split. If chervil is hard to find, substitute with additional flat-leaf parsley and a few extra tarragon leaves.
Ingredient substitutions
- fresh chervil → extra fresh flat-leaf parsley
- tarragon vinegar → white wine vinegar with a pinch of fresh tarragon
Storage
Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 3 days; stir well before serving.
Reheating
Serve cold or at room temperature; do not heat or the egg and oil emulsion will split.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding the olive oil too quickly, which causes the sauce to separate.
- •Over-boiling the eggs until the yolks grey and turn dry.
- •Skipping the sieving step, resulting in a gritty rather than velvety texture.
Serving suggestions
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