Steaming eggs results in even cooking through to the core, and easy peeling.
Crushing the eggs with fresh mayonnaise by hand gives you a good mix of chunky and creamy textures. Scallions and celery add crisp freshness.
Fresh lemon juice adds brightness and acidity to the mix.
I don't remember much about the not-quite-classic-Woody-Allen filmWhat's Up Tiger Lily, other than that secret agent Phil Moskowitz heads out on a mission with his sidekicks Suki and Teri Yaki to secure the recipe for the world's best egg salad. I also remember that he never actually reveals that recipe, which is a shame, because I've been on a quest for the best egg salad ever since I can remember.
Perfect is a word that I throw around a lot, and it's always with the understanding that it's a goal that can be strived for but never achieved. This particular recipe for egg salad is about as close to perfect as I've ever had. It's not fancy, there are no special ingredients, but it's well balanced, with a bright, fresh flavor, and a texture that spans from rich and creamy to crunchy and fresh.
Any good egg salad starts with perfectly boiled eggs with a just-cooked-but-not-chalky yolk and tender whites. Luckily, and not-so-coincidentally, Ispent a great deal of timedevelopinga recipe for them, so we're already off on the right foot.
Crushing It
The biggest question when it comes to how to put together an egg salad is how to chop your eggs. I started with four different methods, using a basic recipe that combined mayonnaise, diced red onions, and diced celery.
The first was to press them through the holes of a box grater. It's easy, it leads to even end results, but it also looks and feels...like an egg pushed through a box grater. The thin slivers are just off-putting.
Chopping with a knife works better in terms of finished texture, but it's a bit of a pain—eggs are slippery and don't like to sit still under the blade of a knife. Doing a large batch with this method is a chore.
Lastly, I tried smashing the eggs with a stiff whisk. This was by far the easiest and best method, producing a nice chunky texture with minimal effort. The one thing I wished it did better was break down the yolks into a creamy sauce that binds with the mayonnaise. Whisking harder helped, but then the whites broke downtoomuch.
Crushing those eggs by hand is the way to go. Your hands are gentler than the hard wires of a whisk, allowing you to break down the yolks without over-crushing the whites. You end up with an egg salad that has nice big bites of egg white, all bound together in a rich, creamy mash of yolks and mayonnaise.
Fine Tuning Flavor
Almost there. All we gotta do is season this thing up. I generally choose red onions because I like the way the pretty red cubes intersperse with the yellow eggs, but I'd never really considered whether they were optimal in terms of flavor. I made a few batches of egg salad with a half dozen different types of onion (yellow, white, red, sweet, shallots, and scallions), and was surprised to find that the scallions were almost unanimously voted as the best of the bunch.
Similarly, most folks prefer far fewer celery nubs than I personally include (andnobodyseemed to like diced radishes added to the mix). I suppose majority rules here (though of course, you should always feel free to modify the ratios according to your own preferences).
Finally, most egg salads are heavy, leaden affairs. I wanted an egg salad that tasted bright and fresh, despite being rich and creamy. The key? A dash of lemon juice and lemon zest, along with a pinch of parsley.
And you know what? Damn the committee: I like radishes on my egg salad sandwiches, and they're going tostaythere.
May 2014
This recipe originally appeared as part of the column "The Food Lab Turbo."
1/2 teaspoon zest and 1 1/2teaspoonsfresh juice from 1 lemon
1/3 cup finely diced celery (about 1 smallstalk)
1/4cup finely sliced scallions, white and pale green parts only (about 2 scallions)
1tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bread, lettuce, and thinly sliced radishes, for serving (optional)
Directions
Combine eggs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery, scallions, and parsley in a medium bowl. Using your hands, squeeze eggs through your fingers, mixing contents of bowl until reduced to desired consistency; alternatively, smash and mix with a firm whisk. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve as sandwiches with sliced radishes, lettuce, and bread, or as desired.
Special Equipment
Whisk
Make Ahead
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Read More
Extra Large, Cage-Free, and More: How to Shop for Eggs
If you've properly seasoned your egg salad and it still seems bland, add an acid. A few teaspoons of lemon juice or white wine vinegar will sharpen and enhance the flavours. Now you have all the tips and tricks to make the best egg salad possible, it's time to get cracking!
Egg salad is a classic sandwich stuffer, but with gobs of mayo mixed in, it can be high in unhealthy fats, sodium and calories. An average deli egg salad sandwich can have more than 550 calories, 30 grams of fat and 600 milligrams of sodium.
According to the USDA, egg salad that's been stored properly in the fridge will be good for three to five days. To maximize that timeframe, use an airtight container and place the egg salad in the coldest part of the fridge promptly. Make sure your fridge is set to 40 F or lower.
What Makes Egg Salad Watery? Every ingredient that goes into egg salad has water in it. Salt and sugar in the dressing draw the water out of the ingredients as they sit, and they make your egg salad watery regardless of whether it's in the fridge or in a sandwich.
Garlic is a good seasoning for eggs because it adds a ton of flavor on its own while giving other spices and herbs an extra boost. Stirring a dash of powdered garlic into your egg recipes is an easy way to ensure they're overflowing with flavor.
Food intolerance happens when the body is unable to digest certain components in food. People who have an egg intolerance may not be able to digest the egg whites or yolks, or both. With an intolerance, a person may experience digestive problems hours after consuming the offending food item.
Among its many benefits, the egg's nutrients build strong muscles, keep our brains, eyes, skin and immune systems healthy, and help prevent birth defects. Making this salad can be as simple as adding some lemon juice and salt and pepper to the avocado and eggs, or enhancing the flavor with onions, herbs and olives.
Are eggs good for acid reflux? While egg yolks are high in fat and may trigger acid reflux in some people, egg whites are typically a good choice if you have acid reflux as they are low in fat and high in protein.
Look for any changes in color, flavor, smell, and texture. Fresh egg salad should be creamy and smooth with a mild scent. Spoiled egg salad will smell sour or have a sulfurous odor like rotten eggs. The texture may be watery or slimy, which may be a sign of bacterial growth.
How much time is needed to make hard boiled eggs? Hard boiled eggs should be cooked for about 10-12 minutes. This timing avoids a powdery, dry yolk that comes from overcooking while keeping it solid enough for applications like devilled eggs or egg salad.
Recipe developer and cookbook author Sheri Castle suggests that "for a salad with hearty texture that won't turn gummy or pasty, use your hands to crumble the eggs instead of chopping the whites and mashing the yolks with a fork." You will, of course, want to wait until the boiled eggs are cool enough to handle, but ...
Place the eggs in a mixing bowl and use a co*cktail muddler, potato masher, or even a large fork to break them up into uneven, irregular chunks. You can also use a potato masher, or press the hard boiled eggs through the wires on a cooling rack to chop them up.
Add onions, peppers tomatoes, cheese, avocado, etc. get creative with them! Don't add the salt and pepper until you're finished cooking it. You can also try adding dill, or tarragon, or a dash of hot sauce.
Most people cook their eggs for far too long or on high heat, which is why they might taste dry and bland. Christopher Koetke, Executive Chef at Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, says it's all about how long the eggs are cooked.
Of course, you can always go the traditional route and top your salads with poached eggs, chicken or sardines. Yum! But you can also try white beans, chickpeas or Soisson beans (soaked overnight and cooked for 1 to 1.5 hours), and/or cooked einkorn or a handful of red rice. The added texture is delicious.
Address: 569 Waelchi Ports, South Blainebury, LA 11589
Phone: +9958996486049
Job: Sales Manager
Hobby: Web surfing, Scuba diving, Mountaineering, Writing, Sailing, Dance, Blacksmithing
Introduction: My name is Prof. Nancy Dach, I am a lively, joyous, courageous, lovely, tender, charming, open person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/the-best-egg-salad-recipe-hero-01_1-c43c237378d84a75ab5dc3f9b0bd1344.JPG "The Best Egg Salad Recipe (1)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2014__05__20140502-best-egg-salad-food-lab-recipe-mash-method-3d26b4b3873b438ca7fff6e6232890d1.jpg "The Best Egg Salad Recipe (2)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2014__05__20140502-best-egg-salad-food-lab-recipe-4-f00cc5717741431582d45bce9715b123.jpg "The Best Egg Salad Recipe (3)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2014__05__20140502-best-egg-salad-food-lab-recipe-9-944e3535a0e5424a852b36a3e9f79457.jpg "The Best Egg Salad Recipe (4)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/the-best-egg-salad-recipe-step-01-Collage-107cc36463ff47558086cee68c6c0caa.JPG "The Best Egg Salad Recipe (5)")
