Egg Salad Help Wanted.

Janet loves the taste of eggs, especially if they are hard boiled at low temps -- 137F or a bit higher.

Our favorite egg salad is very simple -- eggs, white pepper and home made mayo -- not too much mayo you understand.

Janet's happy, but I've been negotiating pepping them up a bit -- a little mustard was a pleasant addition yesterday.

Any other ideas that might appeal to a customer who likes their eggs straight?

Many thanks, Bob

I actually consider egg salad and deviled eggs pretty much the same thing and usually make deviled eggs. The major differences being the white being chopped vs. halved and that the salad, by nature of the white being chopped, would tend to have more mayo. I always use mayo, mustard, salt and white pepper but to tang things up a bit, on occasion I've added mustard powder or fresh horesradish.

I always use mayo, mustard, salt and white pepper but to tang things up a bit, on occasion I've added mustard powder or fresh horesradish.

My wife usually adds a healthy dose of dill.... mustard powder sounds like a good addition.

This question came at a perfect time for me.....just yesterday, I made my hubby an egg salad sandwich for lunch and he was thrilled. Said he had not had it in a long time and it tasted wonderful. I add a little Best Foods Mayo, finely chopped green onion, salt, pepper, and a bit of sweet pickle relish. Delish! Oh, I put mayo on the bread (a good white, of course) a leaf of butter lettuce on one side and egg salad on the other. I like my egg salad sandwiches cut from corner to corner.

My usual for doing egg salad follows most of the suggestions already proffered.

I've always had a fondness for mustard-tasting egg salad, so use a reasonable amount when making mine. Recently spiced things up by using a bit of Malle dijon mustard along with the regular old boring yellow mustard (like French's, although I have a slight preference for Plochman's). Gives it an extra tang.

Then just to taste with salt and pepper and round it out with mayo. I don't make my own, so I use JFG brand (localized brand in our area that is fairly "eggy" tasting to begin with). I don't really have a percentage mix of mustard to mayo - maybe 1/3 mustard mix (the dijon/regular yellow) to 2/3 mayo? I just kinda spoon in until it looks right, and do lots of taste testing along the way...

Oh - almost forgot. I'll also add in a dash or two (depending on batch size) of Worchestshire sauce (did I spell it correctly?) and often a pinch of sugar to round out the extra spice from the Malle, and the W. sauce.

Most of the above is how my Grandma used to make hers, so I obviously obtained my preferences honestly (although the dijon mustard part is my own just to add even more mustardy-zip).

But, one thing that I bemoan . . . my Grandma had an excellent two-bladed curved chopping mechanism that she used when doing the chopping of the eggs (which she always did in her hardwood bowl, another implement that I don't have). The device (which my dad now has so I occasionally visit my one cherished kitchen implement from my Grandma's kitchen [well, I sorta lie... I got her elderly egg cooker!]) is sorta a single handle version of this:

http://store.everythinghome.org/7doedmikn.html

with wooden handle and smaller-ish sized blades. But, still curved to fit the shape of a bowl. Since it was single-handle, easier (I would think) to maneuver around the bowl that this fancy Henckels version. Especially if you are using your other hand to hold the bowl! Guess I need to do a little web search to see if I can find a good replacement...

Thanks,

Mike

Any other ideas that might appeal to a customer who likes their eggs straight?

Mustard is definitely good.
A little Worcestershire sauce [spelled correctly].
Dash or two of hot sauce (I prefer Cholula).
Minced green onions.

For egg salad I've used 2 different tools, both of which seem to work well. The first is one of those egg slicers that use several parallel thin wires. This requires slicing each egg twice, at 90 degree angles. The problem with these tools is that after time, the wires seem to stretch, break or become detached. The second tool is similar to the one you have a link to, but has several dull blades and a single handle across the top. It is actually designed to cut lard/butter into flour for pastry dough. I couldn't find a picture of it in the link you posted.

For deviled eggs, a tool I use is a cookie press to make a fancy looking yoke, mustard, mayo filling. For a large batch it is much faster and neater than using a spoon. Just put all the egg white halves in your serving dish and fill one after the other.

Hi, Mike,

What you're describing is what's called an "ulu" knife in Alaska and a "mezzaluna" knife in Italy. Most are single bladed. I bought one in Anchorage for my father, who was raised in the Missouri Ozarks, and who immediately exclaimed, "A flinching knife!" (No clue what "flinching" is.)

Try googling on "ulu" or "mezzaluna" and "double blade." Bet you'll get zillions of hits!

Safe skies,
Karen

Chives work well, which is handy as we have plenty in the garden. Parsley is also good. Apart from that, source the best free range eggs you can find (a good rich yellow yolk is often a good sign).

Hi Karen, Welcome back...you have been missed.

Aw...<blush>... thanks, Bob!

Hi, Mike,

What you're describing is what's called an "ulu" knife in Alaska and a "mezzaluna" knife in Italy. Most are single bladed. I bought one in Anchorage for my father, who was raised in the Missouri Ozarks, and who immediately exclaimed, "A flinching knife!" (No clue what "flinching" is.)

Try googling on "ulu" or "mezzaluna" and "double blade." Bet you'll get zillions of hits!

Safe skies,
Karen

Hi. Karen,

Mezzaluna is a one-bladed knife with a handle at either end- and big - used to cut pizzas. Use mine probably once a week. Means "crescent moon."

Somebody gave me an ulu once upon a time.

I was in your neighborhood today,btw, oddly enough just around the time you posted this.

Safe ground.

[Robin Garr]

Hi Karen, Welcome back...you have been missed.

Just to make sure you're clear, Bob, that's not Karen Z. It's my dear old pal, the *other* Karen Ellis, from Memphis.

Hi, Mike,

What you're describing is what's called an "ulu" knife in Alaska and a "mezzaluna" knife in Italy. Most are single bladed. I bought one in Anchorage for my father, who was raised in the Missouri Ozarks, and who immediately exclaimed, "A flinching knife!" (No clue what "flinching" is.)

Try googling on "ulu" or "mezzaluna" and "double blade." Bet you'll get zillions of hits!

Safe skies,
Karen

Oops. let me clarify...*originally* a "one-bladed" knife - now occasionally, two. But, what I really wanted to add was that Mezzaluna was the place where Nicole Simpson ate her last meal the night before that fateful most-watched-chase-in-television-history night.

Oops Robin, I sure did think that was KZ. but what the heck Karen is welcome back too!