For more than two decades, Arnaud’s saucier Greg Rosary has put his own touch on the legendary New Orleans restaurant’s sauces, stocks, soups, and oyster toppings, a journey he shares here. Try your own hand with an Arnaud’s brunch favorite, Eggs Pipérade, and its essential Creole sauce, a standard ingredient in many New Orleans dishes.
A Creole Brunch Favorite from Arnaud’s
EGGS PIPÉRADE (Yield: 1 serving)
1 cup Creole sauce (recipe follows)
¼ cup diced and rendered andouille sausage
2 whole eggs
3–4 slices fresh jalapeños
¼ cup goat or cheddar cheese
FOR THE CREOLE SAUCE (Yield: About 4 cups)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
½ green pepper, stemmed, seeded, de-ribbed, and chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
2 cups veal stock, chicken stock, or chicken broth
1 bouquet garni (a bundle of fresh herbs of your choice)
1 plum tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced (or ½ cup canned, diced tomato)
1½ cups tomato puree
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Tabasco sauce
Cayenne pepper
Preparation
- Make the Creole sauce: Place a large saucepan over high heat and add the olive oil. When it is hot, add the onion, green pepper, celery, and parsley. Cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the veal stock and add the bouquet garni, diced tomato, and tomato puree.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, partially covered, for about 10 minutes, until nicely thickened. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, Tabasco sauce, and cayenne pepper. Use immediately, or cool to room temperature and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to one month.
- For the Eggs Pipérade: In a high-heat-proof shallow egg dish or shallow bowl, ladle in the Creole sauce and rendered andouille sausage. Crack the two eggs into the dish. Place the dish atop a hot griddle. After 4 to 5 minutes, add cheese. Sauce should bubble and cheese should start to melt. The eggs should be cooked with the yolk left a little runny. Serve with a simple salad with a light vinaigrette and a hot crispy baguette.