Even people who love egg salad must admit it’s a little…unexciting—but this elegant version adds tarragon and white wine vinegar for a fresh flavor boost, and pairs the chicken eggs with fish eggs for another literal layer of sophistication. Salmon roe adds a lovely translucent red-orange color, plus sweet-salty pops of flavor and a unique textural contrast (a gentle crunch that yields to a burst of melting richness). It’s far more affordable than your standard caviar, but that would also work if you prefer it, as would trout roe, whitefish roe, etc. If you use a very shallow bowl and need more roe to cover the surface area, you can add up to 2 additional ounces, but any more will overpower the egg salad.
And if you’re not in the mood for actual egg salad, try putting some eggs in your salad, like in our Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad recipe, and our Warm Fava Bean and Chanterelle Salad with Poached Eggs recipe.
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total: 30 min
- Active: 15 min
Ingredients (6)
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon, plus leaves for garnish
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 ounces salmon roe
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Set aside ice water in a large bowl, deep enough to submerge 8 eggs. When the water comes to a boil, lower the eggs in carefully with a spoon and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the water and place the eggs in the ice water bath for at least 5 minutes.
- Peel the eggs and then roughly chop them. Stir the eggs together with the mayonnaise, tarragon, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Taste after combining the ingredients to make sure you have enough salt and pepper. Place the eggs in a shallow bowl and spread the roe on top as thinly as you can so that most of the top is covered. Garnish with an extra tarragon leaf or two. Serve with crackers or bread.
Reprinted with permission from BRING IT! © 2018 by Ali Rosen, Running Press
