Why It Works
- Steaming eggs results in even cooking through to the core, and easy peeling.
- Crushing the eggs with fresh mayonnaise by hand gives you a good mix of chunky and creamy textures. Scallions and celery add crisp freshness.
- Fresh lemon juice adds brightness and acidity to the mix.
I don't remember much about the not-quite-classic-Woody-Allen filmWhat's Up Tiger Lily, other than that secret agent Phil Moskowitz heads out on a mission with his sidekicks Suki and Teri Yaki to secure the recipe for the world's best egg salad. I also remember that he never actually reveals that recipe, which is a shame, because I've been on a quest for the best egg salad ever since I can remember.
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Perfect is a word that I throw around a lot, and it's always with the understanding that it's a goal that can be strived for but never achieved. This particular recipe for egg salad is about as close to perfect as I've ever had. It's not fancy, there are no special ingredients, but it's well balanced, with a bright, fresh flavor, and a texture that spans from rich and creamy to crunchy and fresh.
Any good egg salad starts with perfectly boiled eggs with a just-cooked-but-not-chalky yolk and tender whites. Luckily, and not-so-coincidentally, Ispent a great deal of timedevelopinga recipe for them, so we're already off on the right foot.
Crushing It
The biggest question when it comes to how to put together an egg salad is how to chop your eggs. I started with four different methods, using a basic recipe that combined mayonnaise, diced red onions, and diced celery.
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The first was to press them through the holes of a box grater. It's easy, it leads to even end results, but it also looks and feels...like an egg pushed through a box grater. The thin slivers are just off-putting.
Chopping with a knife works better in terms of finished texture, but it's a bit of a pain—eggs are slippery and don't like to sit still under the blade of a knife. Doing a large batch with this method is a chore.
Lastly, I tried smashing the eggs with a stiff whisk. This was by far the easiest and best method, producing a nice chunky texture with minimal effort. The one thing I wished it did better was break down the yolks into a creamy sauce that binds with the mayonnaise. Whisking harder helped, but then the whites broke downtoomuch.
The solution?Getting dirty.
Crushing those eggs by hand is the way to go. Your hands are gentler than the hard wires of a whisk, allowing you to break down the yolks without over-crushing the whites. You end up with an egg salad that has nice big bites of egg white, all bound together in a rich, creamy mash of yolks and mayonnaise.
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Fine Tuning Flavor
Almost there. All we gotta do is season this thing up. I generally choose red onions because I like the way the pretty red cubes intersperse with the yellow eggs, but I'd never really considered whether they were optimal in terms of flavor. I made a few batches of egg salad with a half dozen different types of onion (yellow, white, red, sweet, shallots, and scallions), and was surprised to find that the scallions were almost unanimously voted as the best of the bunch.
Similarly, most folks prefer far fewer celery nubs than I personally include (andnobodyseemed to like diced radishes added to the mix). I suppose majority rules here (though of course, you should always feel free to modify the ratios according to your own preferences).
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2014__05__20140502-best-egg-salad-food-lab-recipe-9-944e3535a0e5424a852b36a3e9f79457.jpg "The Best Egg Salad Recipe (4)")
Finally, most egg salads are heavy, leaden affairs. I wanted an egg salad that tasted bright and fresh, despite being rich and creamy. The key? A dash of lemon juice and lemon zest, along with a pinch of parsley.
And you know what? Damn the committee: I like radishes on my egg salad sandwiches, and they're going tostaythere.
May 2014
This recipe originally appeared as part of the column "The Food Lab Turbo."
Recipe Details
The Best Egg Salad
Prep5 mins
Active5 mins
Total5 mins
Serves3to 4 servings
Ingredients
6 largehard steamed eggs, chilled and peeled
1/4 cup homemadeor store-bought mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon zest and 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh juice from 1 lemon
1/3 cup finely diced celery (about 1 small stalk)
1/4 cup finely sliced scallions, white and pale green parts only (about 2 scallions)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bread, lettuce, and thinly sliced radishes, for serving (optional)
Directions
Combine eggs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery, scallions, and parsley in a medium bowl. Using your hands, squeeze eggs through your fingers, mixing contents of bowl until reduced to desired consistency; alternatively, smash and mix with a firm whisk. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve as sandwiches with sliced radishes, lettuce, and bread, or as desired.
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Special Equipment
Whisk
Make Ahead
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Read More
- Extra Large, Cage-Free, and More: How to Shop for Eggs
- Perfect Steamed Boiled Eggs Recipe
- Two-Minute Mayonnaise Recipe
- Salads
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Boiled Eggs
- Sandwiches
