This has to be a joke, right? I mean egg salad for Pete’s sake! First of all, who actually eats egg salad past about eight years old? And second, who needs a step-by-step recipe guide to make it?
As to the first question, I eat egg salad. It’s like deviled eggs, on bread. And I like me some deviled eggs.
So who needs directions for it? Anyone who’s never made it. No matter how easy something is, until you’ve seen it for the first time you don’t know that it’s easy.
More important is that this is what this blog is about, and it’s why I wrote the book. I’ve gotten so many comments from people saying, “I haven’t had that for years. I’m going to go make some.” It’s like we’re all trying so hard to make the foods we should like, foods that look impressive and sound intimidating, that we sometimes forget that the simple things are good, too.
I spent several minutes in the grill accessories aisle yesterday looking at various racks to grill delicate foods in. I’ve already got a grill pan that works great for vegetables, but I thought a removable rack would make it easier to do fish. And with the luck I have with seafood, I need all the help I can get.
Then I realized: I like steak and pork on the grill. No, I loooooove steak and pork on the grill. And I’m pretty good at it. There I was, standing there looking at buying some more stuff, stuff that there’s no room for in my kitchen as it is, to try grilling some fish … which I don’t even like all that much.
Sure, I like shrimp and scallops, but grilled salmon? Grilled whitefish? Eh, they’re okay. But if you told me I’d never have them again I wouldn’t cry. So why was I looking at those racks? Because I thought I should like grilled fish. Everyone else seems to. And it’s hard to get right, so people are impressed when you do it well. I like impressing people, don’t you?
People used to eat food they liked, not food that was impressive or that happened to be fashionable. And an egg salad sandwich is about as unfashionable as you can get. That’s why I did it for my 100th post.
Ingredients
hard boiled eggs, two per person
mayonnaise
mustard
Directions
I’ve tried all the tips for peeling hard boiled eggs, but I always have some that come out ugly. So when I make deviled eggs, I boil a bunch of extras. Sometimes they don’t peel well, sometimes the yolk is too close to the edge, like this one.
They taste fine, but they’re not going to look good. So, egg salad time. Start by dicing all the eggs.
For eight eggs, like I did here, add about three tablespoons of mayonnaise (home made if you can) and one tablespoon of mustard. I like spicy brown, but will take Dijon or plain yellow in a pinch.
Mix it all together, and check if it’s tangy enough. If I’m making it for just me, I’ll go about half-and-half on the mustard and mayo.
The dainty way to serve this is to put a scoop of it on a lettuce leaf. Iceberg, of course.
Or my way, on some sourdough bread with the lettuce leaf. And a slice of white American cheese, if you’ve got it.
And that’s it.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go throw a steak on the grill to celebrate my milestone.
PS: No, I didn’t buy the rack for the fish.
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127 Comments
I cannot believe the blogs on egg salad started in July 2008…Wow. At any rate; I'ma gonna go make me some egg salad!
Love this blog…& eggs. Graham Kerr taught me a kiler trick to peel eggs:
Use older eggs. Cover in cold water. Bring to a boil, covered. Remove from heat & let sit 15 min. Drain. Cover with cold water to shrink membrane from shell.
Now for the killer trick: Drin water & shake eggs around to crack. Use a teaspoon to finish cracking all over. Under a small stream of water, peel one end , slipping spoon around shell. They practically fall out!
Kudos to the Galloping Gourmet!
For a some added spice add about 2 tablespoons of pickle relish to the quantity you are making.
Jack, are you from pensacola?
Kristen, I don’t know if Jack will see your question. So can I suggest you click his name to go to his blog? I’d love to see people make a connection via my blog. Please let me know if you do connect.
I use a ricer to mash up the egg a bit. I like the texture better that way. i’ve also added either dill or a minced-up dill pickle. YUM.
I also love egg salad. I make it like my grandmother did. Eggs, Bacon Bits, 1/2Miracle Whip, 1/2 Mayo. Great Site! , I’ll be buying your book soon.
I almost forgot the taste of egg salad. I’m going to have it every day now!
Spice it up a little add some celery or some seasoninq be creative
I like this recipe. Simple and to the point.
I like to add some chopped shallot — not a lot, maybe about a tablespoon to about 4 eggs. And a bit of freshly ground black pepper. Sometimes a bit of dried dill weed works well.
My mom has always been a big fan of egg and olive sandwiches. I like them, too. Back in the days when she used to pack our lunches for school, egg and olive was lunch at least once a week. It was a bit embarrassing sometimes, really, as most of my schoolmates thought the delicious sandwiches to be gross. Anyway, here’s the recipe:
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 small can of chopped black olives, drained
Mayonnaise
And that’s it.
John, that sounds really good. Except for the olives. Can’t stand olives.
I grew up on Egg Salad too – my mom’s old stand by. It was usually either that or Pickleloaf! (remember Pickleloaf! Do they still make it??) The Egg Salad stuck
(I’m 52 -) the Pickleloaf – not so much!! Great for vegetarians – the Egg Salad not . .the . .yeah, you get it!!!
They still make it (Pickleloaf ) They just call it P&P loaf (Pickle & Peppers) Now a days, but it tastes the same. And the still make Olive loaf also… I love it and buy it all the time! LOL
Oh dear God, was that the one where you put bologna, pickles and mayo in a blender?
I’ve never had egg salad! Your first few paragraphs are me! Thanks for this recipe. I keep hearing about egg salad, but I just wasn’t sure if I should try it so I went searching for information tonight. I loved deviled eggs so if you say it is deviled eggs on bread I may very well have to give it a try. Now off to explore the rest of your site. Thanks!
Drew – Texan here. I add relish (preferably dill, but sweet will do) to almost all “blended” salads – tuna, chicken, ham, egg, beef, potato, etc. Also to deviled eggs, but well drained.
I’ll have to try some of the peeling tips. I usually just roll mine hot on the counter to make lots of little cracks and then peel under cold running/trickling water.
I also like to add a bit of sweet relish to my “blended” salads too
Beef salad? Would you make that the same as ham or chicken salad? I’ve never heard of doing it with beef before.
This is glorious and beautiful. Egg salad is something I’m fussy about, and never liked growing up… but hey, I have all the things I’d need in my kitchen, and it looks so very easy. Thanks for awesome reminder!
You don’t add any salt?
I figure there’s already some in the mayo, and I can always add more once it’s on the bread.
I am a new wife and mother of a 16 month old girl, and am looking for new recipes. Thank you very much for the help but this is the meanest website that I have read. thanks a lot mean B@$*h for making me feel like an idiot for not knowing how to make egg salad….
Wow, I don’t know how you could have misread this post so badly. I’m sorry you took it as mean, but I thought this was pretty clear: “So who needs directions for it? Anyone who’s never made it. No matter how easy something is, until you’ve seen it for the first time you don’t know that it’s easy.”
I thought that was clear, but I’ll use more words this time: Very few cooking blogs — and of course none of the celebrity chefs on TV — would ever show something as basic as egg salad. They just assume if you know how to cook at all you know how to make egg salad.
My whole point in posting this for my 100th post was to make the goal of the site crystal clear: I don’t assume you already know how to do “the basics”. I will show the most basic techniques and simple recipes. Because there are people who never learned it growing up, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
I need websites such as this. As a parent who had a wife adandon me and the kids. I’m doing a lot of simple things for us from scratch. I now love cooking and I think I’m getting good at it.
That’s great. Well … not that you have to, but that it’s working out so well. The kids are lucky to have you.
My mother uses Miricle Whip(tm) salad dressing instead of the tasteless mayo and like as what you said about this recipie being close to the Deviled Egg one. For the sandwich recipie she will use some salt and pepper to taste. She also adds some white or cider vinegar to taste. She will also do a change up and add a sweet pickle relish and all this from scratch.
Faire thee Well, and I, am,
In Him, David.
Yeah, I need blogs like this too! I’m that 25 yr old guy who couldnt even make a grilled cheese 2 years ago! I’m still learning how to cook for myself everyday. Everyday I dont use the microwave to heat up a hot pocket is a good day! Ha