When I think back on the meals of my childhood, it’s the dishes my mom prepared for family dinners that come to mind first. My favorites, like chicken pot pie, homemade macaroni and cheese, and red beans and rice, stand out the most, with vivid plates and flavors tangible in my memories.
Whether it’s home-cooked meals or a favorite snack from the corner store, having specific foods that you associate with your younger years is not unusual. And that sense of nostalgia for early food memories extends even to famous chefs.
Cookbook author, television host, and chef Jacques Pépin has cemented himself not only as an expert in French cuisine but also as a culinary icon. In an exclusive interview with the legendary chef about the Jacques Pépin Foundation and its 90/90 campaign — a series of dinners nationwide, held in advance of Pépin’s 90th birthday this December, aimed at supporting the foundation’s efforts to make culinary education more accessible — I had the opportunity to learn about one of the dishes that still reminds him of his childhood.
Like many others, the dish that prompts Jacques Pépin to reminisce about his years growing up is one that comes from his mother. But unlike most of us, Pépin’s mother was a professional chef, and both of his parents owned and ran their own restaurant, Le Pélican.
So it’s no surprise that when I asked the French chef what dish reminded him of his childhood the most, he recalled, “There’s a lot of those… but probably eggs. And I would say, I have a little book called The Apprentice, a cooking memoir, so I have a few recipes in there. One of them certainly, Eggs Jeannette, which I named after my mother, was pretty common when I was a kid.
“We didn’t have meat that much, especially during the war, and the eggs were probably the biggest protein that we ate. Those eggs are just hard-[boiled] eggs that she cut in half and [then] took the yolk out and crushed it with garlic and parsley and so forth.
“[She] whisked up the egg [mixture and stuffed it back into the egg halves] and sautéed the eggs upside down in a skillet [until] they started browning. [She would keep] a little bit of the stuffing to mix with mustard, then do a sauce on top. So that’s what I eventually called Eggs Jeannette, but that would be, yes, a good memory.”
Jacques Pépin’s Eggs Jeannette are beautifully browned on top.
Food & Wine / Photo by Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco
These stuffed eggs aren’t a widespread or traditional French dish; instead, they come straight from the mind of Pépin’s mother, and we happen to have her recipe for Eggs Jeannette. It may seem somewhat like deviled eggs, but there are two key steps that set this dish apart.
After mixing egg yolks with flavorful ingredients like parsley, garlic, and some whole milk for creaminess, then placing this mixture back into the halves of boiled eggs, each egg half is seared, stuffing-side down, in a skillet until its surface develops a beautifully browned exterior. To finish, as Pépin details, the eggs are topped with a mustardy dressing that includes a touch of the garlicky egg filling.
Because Eggs Jeannette — or in French, Les Oeufs Jeannette — were born out of resourcefulness, I feel confident that Pépin would approve of simple swaps in the recipe based on what you have. Other tender herbs like dill or cilantro could replace parsley, and you could likely use shallots instead of garlic. Just make sure you serve it as the legendary chef recommends, with some crusty French bread on the side.
Dining and Cooking