mitch's egg salad
I really dislike egg salad made with mayonnaise. Often, the pre-made deli variety is not only an attractive den of sin for all kinds of bacteria who are ready to send you straight to the toilet with your bowels in a knot, but also blended with so much dressing (and little else) that it appears monochromatic from afar, with bits of white suspended in a sulfuric, jiggly, pale-yellow mass of yolk and mayo upon closer inspection. I like my egg salad chunky, lightly dressed, and with all kinds of colorful flavorful bits of stuff added to it. All it needs is some sliced whole-grain bread and a leaf of lettuce to become a tasty, happy little sandwich.
(makes 1 serving)
2 perfectly hard boiled eggs*, peeled
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp white balsamic vinegar (or a squeeze of lemon)
pinch of salt
a few grinds of black pepper
1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp minced red onion
2 cornichons, minced
5 pitted black olives (I used niçoise), chopped
2 marinated artichoke heart quarters, chopped
fresh herbs (I used dill, but chives and parsley would’ve also been good additions)
Combine mustard, vinegar or lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Add remaining ingredients and break up eggs with a fork. Stir to coat evenly. Notice how the egg salad does not make that squishy, pasty sound that the mayo-bomb variety usually produces.
*How to make perfect hard boiled eggs:
There is a lot of disagreement out there about the exact procedure for reliably perfect hard boiled eggs. The topic came up during one of my food science classes, and a riot nearly broke out among those of us who are also home cooks. This is how I’ve done it since high school, and it never fails. Bring eggs to a simmer in a pot of salted water. Immediately turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let it sit for 15 minutes (any longer and you’ll get that nasty greenish grayish ring of ferrous sulfide around the yolk), then transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water (or drain the pot and fill it with ice). Peel them once they’ve cooled off.
