Egg Salad like my mother never made it.

Everyone’s mother makes egg salad.  Being from the South, my mother used Miracle Whip and French’s bright yellow mustard (the only mustard available in those days). She blended these together, added it to mashed boiled eggs done with a wickedly forceful fork, salted and peppered it, and finally spread it on white bread.

Her fancy-pants daughter deviates by adding a little onion (Vidalia, shallots or chives) and a crunch factor such as celery, fennel, capers, or any pickled vegetable.  As I had leftover asparagus from Easter, I used that instead.  I encourage you to throw in a pinch (or two) of your favorite spice to add another flavor dimension to what otherwise can be rather bland.

 Ingredients:

6 hard-boiled eggs (Try to find the freshest, most flavorful eggs possible, ideally from your farmer’s market where the yolks are orange and the eggs actually have flavor!)

¼ cup good quality mayonnaise (I use Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise)

1 Tablespoon grained mustard

1/8 teaspoon hot paprika from Spain or Hungary (or any other spice of your liking)

2-3 fresh asparagus spears, finely diced

2 teaspoons fresh chives

Salt and pepper to taste

Good quality bread (brioche, multi-grain, pumpernickel, for example)

Cooking Instructions:

1.        Quarter boiled eggs and put in a bowl.  Smash with a fork into small pieces.

2.       In another bowl, add all of the other ingredients except the bread. Mix together.

3.       Add this mixture to the smashed eggs and mix thoroughly.

4.       Spread egg salad on bread. (I prefer open-faced sandwiches as it saves on the calories! Even more so if you use vegetable slices for dipping.)  Add lettuce, tomatoes or cucumber slices, if desired.

Wine suggestion:  With such a simple sandwich, I would go seriously elegant with a sparkling wine.  No need for the real deal from France (unless you want to spoil yourself!) but any dry bubbly from Spain, Italy or California (I vote for Chandon!) would be lovely.