Eggs. Springtime. Passover. Easter. Persian New Year. Symbols of life. Another spring where we’re trying to connect the dots (and the people we love) in new and different ways.
But this year our rites of spring are once again likely to be “untraditional.” Heavy sigh, again. Clever and conscientious folks are figuring out ways to have a socially distanced egg hunt, and maybe even get together for a bite outdoors. Spring is all about starting over, reinventing, trying again.
So how about this year trying a new approach to the post-egg hunt egg salad, and a new note from history to go with it? The great nutrition, simplicity, and thriftiness of eggs can’t be beat. And by looking at the dictionary rather than the cookbook, you can dazzle your eaters with your “eggspertise,” as well as your cooking.
The recipe for a new take on egg salad is easy. See below for foolproof instructions on how to boil an egg just enough. (Keep in mind, the fresher eggs are, the harder they are to peel after boiling, so pull out that dozen you already have in the fridge and save the ones you just bought for something else, if possible.) Then, instead of reaching for the mayonnaise jar, try Heidi Swanson’s curried combo that adds apples and pecans for crunch with curry spice and tangy yogurt. Plus some mango chutney on the side and you’ve got reinvention, indeed!
And if your traditionalists balk because it doesn’t look like the egg salad of yore, distract them with the tale about the phrase “to lay an egg.” Its origin is on the sports field, not the barnyard. In the game of cricket, slang for “no score” was “duck’s egg,” likely referring to the large oval zeroes on the scoreboard. “Laid a duck’s egg” in cricket became “laid a goose egg” in American basesball, and “goose egg” soon came to denote “zeroes.” Early vaudeville comedians made cracks about killing “the goose that laid the rotten eggs” and “laid an egg” came to denote an entertainer whose act bombed.
But if you serve this curried concoction on lettuce leaves, spinach, cupped leaves of radicchio, toasted bread, crackers, wraps, or whatever and get them to take a bite, you won’t lay an egg, promise. It’s eggstrordinary!
Curried Egg Salad
* 5 good quality eggs
* 1½ teaspoons curry powder
* 3 tablespoons plain yogurt (or substitute 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise for 1 tablespoon of yogurt)
* 2 big pinches of salt
* ½ small onion, chopped (optional)
* ½ medium apple, chopped
* ¼ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
* 1 small bunch of chives, minced
Additions:
* 2-3 teaspoons sweet pickle relish (or to taste)
* dried currants
* ¼ cup minced sweet red pepper
* mango chutney
Directions: First off, you need to boil the eggs properly (the key to good egg salad). Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a half-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking, place them in the ice bath for 3 minutes or so (long enough to stop the cooking.) While the eggs are boiling and cooling, toast pecans in a toaster oven or in a sauté pan over low heat. (You can add the curry powder to them if you want to maximize the curry flavor; stir frequently so it doesn’t scorch). Combine yogurt, curry powder and salt in a tiny bowl. Set aside. Crack and peel each egg, and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the curried yogurt, onions (if using), apple, pecans and chives. Now mash with a fork. Don't overdo it; you want the egg mixture to have some texture. If you need to add a bit more plain yogurt to moisten up the mixture a bit, go for it a bit at a time. Taste and add more salt if needed. Enjoy as-is or served wrapped in lettuce or between two slices of good, toasted bread.
Serves 3-4
Adapted from Heidi Swanson, www.101cookbooks.com
Lynne Ireland lives to eat and welcomes comments and questions from others who do (or don’t). Contact her at citydesk@journalstar.com
March 23, 2021 at 11:34AM
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Seasoned to Taste: Curry helps reinvent egg salad recipe - Lincoln Journal Star
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