Eggs. Soft-boiled eggs, fried or poached eggs, take them scrambled, bake them au gratin, butter them with an omelette, or present the billowy egg-whites in a majestic French souffle, but however you take yours we can surely all agree that eggs truly are amazing. What transformative little gems, too, wouldn’t you say? I am officially an egg addict and perhaps, I believe, eggs are my favorite food.
I have shared some tasty egg recipes with you in the past and some stories from my cooking odysseys. From Eggs Florentine au Gratin and a Souffle au Fromage, Maple Cream Pots to Homemade Mayonnaise, I simply think they are so versatile and downright tasty. Above all, they are extremely useful. For example when baking cakes, I replace baking powder and soda with egg whites – the mostly traditional French approach – which provide my cakes with height, texture, and support. With moderation, eggs are healthy and rich in protein and vitamins with 1 egg being approved to be consumed daily.
Eggs might be my go-to favorite but that is not saying they aren’t tricky little ones, either. Beyond egg whites or yolks, there are a lot of tips out there on how to master the perfect soft-boiled or hard-boiled egg. Let the confusion stop here. The best hard-boiled eggs are eggs that are at room temperature before cooking. Older eggs also make the best hard-boiled eggs if you are to shell them because the protein and membrane, over the course of 2 weeks or so, has pulled away from the shell thus leaving you the easy-to-shell, perfect oval shape for your cocktail party deviled eggs.
Tip for boiling eggs: To begin, you always want to start your room temperature eggs in cold water then you place on the burner and bring to a rapid boil before reducing the heat to low. Hard-boiled eggs take 7-10 minutes, with 8 being desired. Cook any longer and you’ll find your eggs have that undesired green-blue tint around the yolk. Last tip? Set a timer. Many of us think that we have our kitchen under control but the truth is that we can become sidetracked or answer that text we’ve been meaning to respond to. Follow these tips and more and your dishes will be eggcellent.
As lunchtime looms as I write this, I wanted to share with you a classic American recipe for the perfect egg salad sandwich. It is easy-breezy with the main ingredients being simply eggs and mayonnaise (learn how to make your own mayo here), but it truly is up to the homecook how the flavor profile will develop. Some of us take our egg salad the traditional ways whilst others add celery or scallions, shallots, minced pickle, and even cheese. To be transparent, the husband likes when I make it the classic, simple way for him – without fuss, without fireworks or vegetable fanfare – just with some homemade mayonnaise and just the exact amount of seasoning.
And for me? Make that 2. I just love a simple, well-executed egg salad sandwich. I absolutely adore these egg sandwiches in the summertime and know you will, too.
- 8 eggs (large) hard-boiled and peeled
- 1 tsp French Dijon mustard
- Freshly cracked pepper / 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise (or more)
- 1 tsp Provencal herbs (dry)
- Optional additions: 1/4 cup scallion or 1 minced shallot
- In a large sauce pan, place eggs in cold water then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let eggs cook for 8 minutes. Immediately remove from stove and plunge into cold water. Rinse, and fill the pan again with cold water. Let stand for minimum 20 minutes to stop the cooking process.
- Peel eggs and place in bowl. Ensure they are dried. Add all ingredients and combine, leaving bits and pieces of egg.
- Taste, and correct seasoning.
- To serve: spread egg salad across bread (toasted or untoasted) and add fresh field greens. Add other toppings such as black olives, if desired, or a slice of summer tomato. Pair this seasonal favorite sandwich with a pickle.
