Intro
Once upon a time there was a fancy egg
who was friends with that fancy egg.
They didn’t really get along with these fancy eggs but they were cordial and made pithy egg conversation while sitting next to each other in the carton.
The fancy eggs were happy with their beautiful marble coat but they still longed for more. They had heard tales of legendary eggs being baked into silky custards, or perfectly poached and served over spring asparagus.
Watching the excited child dip them into various shades of dye filled them joy (and nervousness as they feared the long and deadly fall to the ground) but that joy was short lived as they sat there, left alone to dry, dreaming of the delicious meals they could have been.
Then along comes the heroine of the story, a hungry girl who would NEVER let anything that is edible exist for the sole purpose of being a child’s craft project.
The girl was, as usual, hungry and hankering for an egg salad sandwich studded with crisp celery and fragrant green onions all bound together with pungent homemade mayonnaise.
A happy egg yolk jumped into a bowl and was joined by a splash of vinegar, a small clove of garlic – finely minced, a half a teaspoon Dijon mustard and a pinch of sea salt. Oil was then carefully added one lubricating drop at a time (1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup canola oil) as hungry girl worked up a mild sweat whisking the mixture to ensure a proper emulsion.
Soon the contents of the bowl was transformed into a creamy mayonnaise.
The other fancy eggs shed their fancy coats happily knowing their life was destined for something delicious. Naked, eager and perfectly hard boiled* they hopped into an awaiting bowl joining the other ingredients.
They were blended together in the same way hungry girl’s mother used to make egg salad (with a pastry cutter) then scooped onto whole wheat bread (covered with more mayonnaise – because hungry girl is not afraid of calories). The egg salad was topped with crisp butter lettuce then accompanied with salty potato chips.**
Hungry girl was happy and full – for now.
But the fancy eggs were the happiest of all.
Follow me to make your own fancy eggs.
Egg Salad
6 hard boiled eggs
1 celery stalk, finely diced (optional)
2 small green onions, finely chopped
3 Tbl. mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients until well mixed.
You’ve just made my morning 🙂
Your eggs are so beautiful. I just hard-boiled 10 eggs just like you did, but at 14 minutes. I LOVE your egg story. I’ve been thinking about eggs all day long, hard-boiled some and they are still cooling. Then I was lured here by your twitter. Nice. And, I was also thinking of making mayonaise. Now this is synergy.
Love that second egg…it looks like granite! Sandwich looks good too…were there any leftovers? I can be there in a snap…
What a precious post! I love your story-telling skills. And I LOVE egg salad. I’ve never made my own mayonnaise before, but I really want to try it. Looks like fun (/a good work out to get the emulsion).
StuffCooksWant – Leftovers?! What are those?
Elyse- You are too kind. Making mayonnaise is so satisfying. If you do it in a blender or food processor the work is VERY easy – and the taste is like no other.
Angela – ’tis the season for eggs. Good thing I love them so much.
MsGourmet – and now you’ve made mine. Thanks for commenting!
Hi,
first time in your blog and I am loving it so much, beautiful pictures, and great but down to earth recipes (as the egg salad sandwich), just my kind of blog!.
I loved the way you wrote this egg story, loved, loved, love it!. Never ever someone wrote something about an egg so beautiful as you.
Will be coming back for more.
Yesterday at Easter dinner my parents asked my oldest (who is 7) if I would be making egg salad sandwiches with all of the eggs that we dyed (40 at my house). “Egg salad? What’s egg salad, Grandma?”, she asked. “We just eat ’em!” she told Grandma.
These look good. . . .
There are still a few eggs left. . . .
i have been having a crazy craving for egg salad sandwiches lately. these photos are making me drool!
Aran – coming from you that is quite the compliment as your photos rock my world!!
That egg salad sandwich looks good!
absolutely beautiful pics. thoroughly love your story and can’t wait to read more…makes me want to run and make egg salad…at midnight! eke. can’t wait to share w/ friends…
Beautiful photos. Will be giving this a try because I still have not mastered the hard boiled egg without boiling the things to death (i.e., 20 minutes). Would totally love it, if this worked. Will find out soon:-)
Ashley,
I am SO proud of your beautiful work. LOVE the egg story. You are so gifted. Hope you are well!
Dr. H.
Actually, the perfect and always peelable hard-cooked egg is steamed, preferably in a pressure cooker. They almost peel themselves.