[1] One of eight children of a day laborer and a seamstress, Nignon became an apprentice at Cambronne Restaurant at the age of 9.

[2] Interested in unusual taste combinations, he created oysters with camembert[4] and homard a la dinardaise, a lobster salad with the "insane trio" of truffles, mustard and pickles.

[3][7] Michel Guérard, one of the founders of nouvelle cuisine, described Nignon as a visionary chef who had a huge influence on French cooks such as himself and Joël Robuchon.

[8] A recent article on contemporary cookbooks called Nignon "the Flaubert of the ovens," who created "gourmet epics".

[11] Chef Yvon Garnier founded Culinary Institute Edouard Nignon in Nantes.