When we think of this week of April, most of us think taxes.
But did you also know this week has a food-related importance? It’s National Egg Salad Week!
Egg salad sandwiches are some of the easiest sandwiches in the world to make, especially if you have some eggs sitting around in the fridge.
For perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs, follow this method.
First, place the eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 1-inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the eggs sit for 12 minutes. Then, place the eggs in a colander to drain and run cold water over them to cool the eggs and stop the cooking process.
To make peeling easy, add a little salt to the cooking water as well as peel the eggs under running cold water.
When mashing your eggs, don’t overdo it. You want the egg mixture to have some texture. I like to “chop” my hard-boiled eggs by pushing them through the wire cooling rack I use for baking. I think this trick gives the salad the perfect texture.
When making the salad, gently fold in the mayonnaise, mustard, and other seasonings. Over mixing will ruin the texture.
My family loves it with olives in the mix, but you can always omit the olives for a classic egg salad. For another variation, add fresh dill or chives for a tasty twist to the classic recipe.
Egg & Olive Salad
- 6 hard-boiled large eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped green olives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the chopped eggs in a medium mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash up the eggs a little. Add the mustard, mayonnaise, hot sauce, onion, and olives. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.
Serves 4.
Recipe reprinted with permission from The Southern Pantry Cookbook by Jennifer Chandler.
