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Today is National Egg Day, which rings nostalgic to us. The approach of summer reminds us of Mom’s fresh egg salad sandwiches, served to us with the just-cooked eggs still warm.
Basic egg salad combines chopped hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise with finely chopped celery and onion, seasoned with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (or some pickle juice), salt and pepper.
Some people then build a sandwich by adding lettuce and tomato, even strips of bacon. But today’s tip is what to add to the egg salad itself. They turn egg salad from ordinary to memorable.
It doesn’t have to be a sandwich. Scoop your egg salad atop greens, into a crisp bell pepper, a stuffed tomato, a bacon bowl, even into potato skins. Make canapés with a base of apple, cucumber or potato or.
Kitchen tip: When preparing hard boiled eggs, add a teaspoon of baking soda or vinegar the pot of water. This will help when removing the shell & have a perfectly peeled egg. Here’s more on how to make hard-boiled eggs.
25+ FAVORITE ADDITIONS TO EGG SALAD
Antipasto, with diced mozzarella, salami.
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Find more delicious recipes at TheEggFarm.com. |
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Asian, with garlic, green onions, ginger, soy sauce instead of salt and a few red chili flakes (note: the soy will darken the egg salad).
Bacon horseradish: Add crumbled bacon to your favorite egg salad recipe and a teaspoon of prepared horseradish to the mayonnaise.
Beet: Diced beets turn your favorite egg salad recipe pink.
Curried, with chopped almonds, raisins and fresh apple.
Deviled, using your favorite deviled egg recipe ingredients.
Greek, with lemon zest, kalamata cheese, peperoncini, oregano, thyme and optional crumbled feta cheese.
Dried fruit: dried blueberries, cherries, cranberries, raisins or sultanas, especially in combination with sliced almonds.
Français: Add finely chopped shallot, fresh tarragon, and tarragon or wine vinegar mixed with the mayonnaise.
Fruit: diced apples, halved grapes, dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, blueberries)—consider combining with nuts.
Giardiniera, with diced pickled vegetables (pickle carrots, celery and onion for one hour). Alternative: capers.
Gremolata, a combination of garlic, lemon zest and parsley (recipe). Or, add any one or two of these ingredients.
Gribiche, with capers, diced cornichons and fines herbes (fresh chervil, chives, parsley and tarragon).
Ham, diced.
Heat: chile in adobo, crushed red pepper, minced fresh chiles.
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Bacon and egg salad. Photo courtesy SafeEggs.com. |
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Herbed: Pick two fresh herbs from among basil, chives, dill or parsley.
Mom’s: Our mother’s recipe uses finely chopped celery, red bell pepper, red onion; minced fresh parsley; and Durkee’s Famous Sauce*.
Mustard: Dijon or grainy mustard (add minced cornichons), honey mustard (add dried fruit).
Mushrooms, marinated or sautéed.
Niçoise, with drained flaked tuna, chopped picholine or Kalamata olives, chopped cooked green beans.
Nuts: almonds, pecans, pistachios, walnuts (consider combining with a fruit).
Olives: It’s fun to combine two varieties, e.g. Kalamata and pimento-stuffed.
Peppadew, especially combined with diced red pepper.
Pesto: Bind with half mayonnaise, half pesto.
Pickles/relish, from chopped cornichons or dills to sweet pickle relish and mustard pickles.
Russian, with dill, boiled potatoes, pickled onions and 50:50 sour cream and mayonnaise (optional: diced beets).
Soft cheese: crumbled blue, chèvre or feta; diced mozzarella.
Three onion: chive, red and sweet onion, finely diced.
Tomatoes: diced cherry tomatoes, sundried, and when the good summer tomatoes come in, with big, thick slices.
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SANDWICH BREAD
Forget the supermarket white or whole wheat bread for a day, and try:
Baguette
Ciabatta
Croissant
Flatbread
Pita (look for whole wheat pita!)
Pretzel rolls
Pumpernickel, rye or black bread
Seeded bread
Semolina bread
Tortilla wrap
BINDERS
Plain supermarket mayonnaise is so 20th century. Blend proportions of any of the following, to taste:
Blue cheese, Italian, ranch or Russian/Thousand Island dressing
Chili sauce, ketchup or barbecue sauce
Durkee’s Famous Sauce (see footnote below)
Flavored olive oil
Guacamole
Hummus, plain or flavored
Mayonnaise, including flavored mayo (bacon, lemon, chipotle, wasabi, etc.) or sandwich spread (mayo mixed with pickle relish)
Mustard, from Dijon to grainy to flavored (types of mustard)
Pesto
Plain yogurt flavored with herbs or spices, or tzatziki
Salsa
White bean purée
Wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon vinaigrette
VEGETABLES: BEYOND ICEBERG LETTUCE
Arugula or watercress
Cucumber slices
Pickled vegetables
Radish slices
Roasted vegetables
Romaine or bibb lettuce
Sliced tomatoes in season, or chopped cherry tomatoes year-round
This should keep you busy until the next National Egg Day! If you have anything to add to the list, let us know.
*Durkee’s Famous Sauce is a tangy salad and sandwich spread that combines mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar and seasonings. Mom used it in cole slaw, deviled eggs, potato salad and on sandwiches. Patented in 1857, Durkee says it was served in the Lincoln White House! It is still sold online and at some Wal-Marts and other retailers. We haven’t tried this recipe, but it claims to be a Durkee’s Famous Sauce clone. Here’s another version.
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