the thin chef

The words egg salad elicit one of two responses: sounds of mmmm and yumm…or utterances of disgust. If you realize that I’ve posted about egg salad before, I wish I had a prize to give you. Because that means you have either been a reader from the beginning, or you’ve browsed my archives. Either of which definitely deserves a prize. I’ll work on that.

I digress. Egg salad, to me, is one of those things that can be delicious or horrendous, depending on the ingredients you use. Good, organic eggs, the fresher the better should be the base. Add just enough mayo to hold it all together. A dollop of dijon adds good flavor. Maybe a few capers, if you have them. Freshen it up with some herbs and a spritz of lemon. And whatever you do, don’t smash the eggs to a gushy mush. If you like hardboiled eggs, deviled eggs, etc…you’ll most likely enjoy egg salad if it’s made like this.

I like to spoon it onto grilled or toasted bread, a bite at a time. Sometimes I put a little bit of sambal olek or harissa to spice it up. For texture, I like to add a little extra salt in the form of big pink flakes or little gray pebbles. It’s a decidedly springy lunch, perfect for those endless February days when the warmth of summer feels juuuust beyond your reach.

Light + Fresh Egg Salad
serves 2 for lunch

4 eggs
3 to 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon capers, drained and lightly chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill or parsley
Light squeeze of lemon juice
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Grilled or toasted bread, for serving
Sambal olek, harissa, or sriracha, for serving
Flake sea salt or gray salt, for serving

Put eggs in a pan and cover with about 1 inch of water. Cover and bring to a boil. When the water boils, turn off heat and let sit, covered, 10 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice water or run under cold water for a few minutes to stop the cooking.

Peel eggs and place in a large bowl with the mayo and mustard. Using a fork, lightly mash eggs until they are in small pieces, being careful not to over-mash. Stir in capers, dill, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Spoon egg salad onto bread, adding hot sauce and/or a sprinkle of salt, if you like.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 11:20 am and is filed under basic techniques, quick and easy, vegetarian. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.