This very easy egg salad defines the saying, “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” With only four flavor ingredients, you might think that this egg salad will be a plain Jane, but the dill and the shallots make it extra-ordinary.  I also like to use an old-fashioned egg slicer to “cut” my eggs. I use the egg slicer to cut the egg once lengthwise; take the cut egg out, and place it back into the slicer the opposite direction so that it is cut twice.  I like this method because it is easy, and because it gives a nice ribbon texture to the whites.  When you add the rest of the ingredients, the yolks become one with the mix-ins like deviled eggs and the whites add texture to the egg salad. 

12        eggs

½         scant cup real mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann’s 

1          generous tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2          medium shallots, minced

4-5       sprigs of fresh dill, or more to taste

2          pinches ground white pepper

1-2       pinches salt or more to taste

Boil eggs using my simple method for “easy-to-peel boiled eggs.”  

Fill a heavy-duty 4 quart pot with cold water.  Gently place eggs in the pot.  Bring the water to a boil and cover the pot.  Turn the heat off and let sit in the hot water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the pot with the eggs in it from the stove and place in the sink.  One by one, leaving the eggs in the water that they were boiled in, peel the eggs. Crack and peel eggs by cracking the bottom of the egg and slipping the eggshell off.  Rinse in the hot water to remove any small shell fragments.  You will be shocked at how fast this method is and how foolproof.   

Cut the eggs into a rough dice or use an egg slicer, and place in a medium mixing bowl.  While the eggs are still warm, add the mayo, mustard, shallots to the bowl and mix well.  Using kitchen shears, cut the fine fronds of the fresh dill into eyelash-size pieces. This is akin to giving the dill a haircut.

Mix well.  Add white pepper and salt to taste.  Resist the urge to over-salt.  Finally, let sit covered in the refrigerator for at least four hours or preferably overnight to let the flavors marry.  

Serve with tomatoes, lettuce, crackers or bread.  For a keto-friendly meal, serve with pork rinds.

ALL RECIPES ©ELIZABETH KARMEL 2019