PARIS — Easter still makes me think of vinegar. Dipping the egg into the colored, vinegary dye with a flimsy wisp of wire shaped like a stop sign. Who decided a hexagon was best suited for Easter egg fishing?
Never worked very well for me. I always ended up with orange and blue fingers.
My family always dyed dozens of hard-boiled eggs for Easter. The next day, my brother and I would race around the backyard, plucking the eggs out of monkey grass, off fence railings and out of flower pots, filling up our baskets as fast as we could. Afterwards, we had all of these eggs, which Mom had to do something with. Deviled eggs were her default, but she often made egg salad, too..
Which got me to thinking about egg salad and how homey – and easy – it is. And the perfect way to use the decorated, hunted and gathered eggs. (Hard boiled eggs should be eaten within a week after cooking.)
Now living in France, I find the love of the egg is unsurpassed – you find eggs on sandwiches (Croque Madame), on and in salads, on burgers, mixed into steak tartare and in the many different quiches available at the boulangeries. But I’ve yet to see anything like an egg salad, which seems strange, given, too, the Frenchies’ mayo and mustard-centric culture.
Living here has opened me up to the possibilities of combining eggs with just about anything, which is how I came up with these four new takes on egg salad. A great way to enjoy your Easter eggs, or a half-dozen hard-boiled eggs any other day of the year.
Ellise Pierce is the Cowgirl Chef and author of “Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent” Reach her at cowgirlchef.com.
To see printable versions of these recipes, click on the links below:
PUT eggs in a saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, and put on the stove over medium-high heat. When the water boils, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and put on the timer for 10 minutes. Carefully pour off the hot water, then put the pot in the sink and let cold water run over the eggs until they’re cool enough to peel. Roughly chop the eggs and put them in a bowl.
ADD avocado, cilantro, chopped chipotle and salt to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
PREHEAT oven to broil. When the oven’s hot, toast your tortillas by putting them directly on the rack, making sure to flip them to the other side after about a minute. Be sure to watch them carefully so they don’t burn. Spoon one-fourth of the egg salad on each of the four tortillas and sprinkle with a little more cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Yield: 4 tostadas
Egg Salad Mediterraneo 6 eggs 6 cherry tomatoes, chopped 10 artichoke heart quarters (in oil), chopped 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped (with additional for serving) 8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped 1 heaping tablespoon Hellmann’s mayonnaise Sea salt and pepperPUT eggs in a saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, and put on the stove over medium-high heat. When the water boils, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and put on the timer for 10 minutes. Carefully pour off the hot water, then put the pot in the sink and let cold water run over the eggs until they’re cool enough to peel. Roughly chop the eggs and put them in a bowl.
ADD cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, basil, kalamata olives, mayo, salt and pepper to taste. Let rest in the fridge for 2 hours before serving. I like to serve this on toasted grainy bread, open-face, like a French tartine, with a bit more chopped basil on top. Yield: 4 sandwiches
Egg Salad Frenchy Piment d’Espelette is a French chile pepper from the Southwest of France, milder than cayenne and without the smokiness of, say, chipotle or Spanish paprika. It can be found in specialty stores. As there is not an American equivalent, if you can’t find it, simply leave it out, and the egg salad will still be delicious. 6 large eggs 10 French cornichons, chopped 1 heaping tablespoon Hellmann’s mayonnaise 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard A pinch piment d’Espelette (optional; see note) Sea salt and pepper 1 baguette, slicedPUT eggs in a saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, and put on the stove over medium-high heat. When the water boils, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and put on the timer for 10 minutes. Carefully pour off the hot water, then put the pot in the sink and let cold water run over the eggs until they’re cool enough to peel. Chop the eggs and put them in a bowl.
ADD cornichons, mayo, mustard, piment d’Espelette, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Serve on a baguette (I like mine toasted) with an additional sprinkle of piment d’Espelette for color – voila! Yield: 4 sandwiches
Egg Salad Fancy Schmancy 6 eggs A small handful of fresh dill, chopped (plus more for serving) 1 tablespoon capers, chopped 1 heaping tablespoon Hellmann’s mayonnaise Sea salt and pepper 5.29-ounce box of tiny toasts 3.5 ounces of smoked salmon, sliced into small piecesPUT eggs in a saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, and put on the stove over medium-high heat. When the water boils, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and put on the timer for 10 minutes. Carefully pour off the hot water, then put the pot in the sink and let cold water run over the eggs until they’re cool enough to peel. Grate the eggs and put them in a bowl.
ADD dill, capers, mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
WHEN ready to serve, spoon some of the egg salad on your tiny toasts, top with a piece of salmon and sprinkle a bit more dill on top. Yield: about 2 dozen toasts
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