Caramelized Shallot Egg Salad
Caramelized Shallot Egg Salad- Sweet caramelized shallots are mixed with hard boiled eggs and tangy mayo for a rich and flavorful spin on a classic lunch item.
May 22, 2023 by Nicole Collins
Remember when I used to be simple and boring?
Well, I still am.
I guess I should ask if you remember when I would not budge on staple foods like chicken salad, deviled eggs, fruit in salad, etc. I only wanted chicken salad with celery and onion. I only wanted deviled eggs with pepper and paprika. And DO NOT even think about adding mustard to anything.
But now, I’ve seen the light. I’ve awoken. I’ve not only opened up to but embraced the idea that these super simple things can experiment with different flavor profiles.
Well, today is the latest episode of food enlightenment. And boy, is it a good one.
Today, we’re making Caramelized Shallot Egg Salad!
Here’s the game plan today. We’re going to take our basic egg salad recipe and spruce it up with some caramelized shallots. We’ll balance all the richness out with a squeeze of tangy mustard, throw it on a sandwich with fresh greens, and that’s lunch!
So, let’s get to it!
We’ll start with the shallots. We’re going to take a couple shallots, thinly slice them, then slowly cook them in a heavy bottom skillet in some olive oil and a little salt and pepper until they’re deep and golden in color. That’s all there is to it.
I’ve recently learned that I was making a big mistake when it came to caramelizing onions/shallots. I used to use a non stick skillet, and they just never got to that perfect jammy stage. They’d go from light brown to burnt, and that’s not what we want out of a caramelized allium. But then, I learned that a heavy bottom skillet was the trick. Cast iron, stainless steel, aluminum…some kind of skillet that could really retain the heat is the key to successful caramelized onions. So, now my new favorite pan to use is an enamel coated cast iron skillet. You get the heat retention from the cast iron, but the easy to clean feature thanks to the enamel.
Once the shallots are caramelized and cool enough to handle, we’ll chop them up and throw them into a bowl. The other components of our egg salad are simple…mayonnaise for creaminess, dijon mustard to cut the richness, salt and pepper for seasoning, and that’s it. Mix everything together, and get ready to drop in the eggs.
We’ve talked about this many times before, and there are so many “fool proof” claims out there to the perfect hard boiled egg. And all of the cooking times and methods are completely different. But I can truly say that my method has never steered me wrong. Start the eggs in a pot of cold water, bring it to a boil, set the timer for 10 mins once boiling, then transfer the eggs straight to an ice bath for exactly 2 mins. Get the eggs out of the ice water, and the shells come right off. AND, you’ll have a perfectly bright yellow yolk from your perfectly hard boiled egg. Dice the egg, toss it around in the shallot mayo mix, and that’s egg salad!
This egg salad is decadent. Between the sweet shallots, the fatty mayo, and the rich eggs; this egg salad really benefits from some brightness to balance it out. I really like serving this on a sandwich with some crunchy spring greens mix and some whole wheat toast. But as always, serve the egg salad how you like it.
Ok, everyone. I feel like the adventures of deviled eggs and egg salad have just begun. I have a deviled egg recipe coming up soon that’ll make you wanna slap yo mama. But don’t do that though…that’s not nice!
Okie dokes! I hope you guys enjoy. And, let’s eat!
Caramelized Shallot Egg Salad
Serves: 2 Print
Ingredients:
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt, plus more to taste
4 eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp pepper
Directions:
Caramelize the shallots: Heat olive oil in a small cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add shallots and 1/8 tsp salt to the pan. Cook for 30-35 mins, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have caramelized and are deep golden in color. Remove from heat. When cool enough to handle, mince the shallots.
Meanwhile, hard boil the eggs: Place eggs in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water until the water is at least a half inch above the eggs. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water starts to bubble, set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, immediately drain the hot water out of the pot and run cold water over the eggs in the pot. Dump the first round of water and run cold water over the eggs again. Let the eggs sit in the cold water for 2-3 mins. Remove the eggs from the water, and carefully peel the shells off of the eggs.
Dice the eggs, and add to a mixing bowl along with shallots, mayo, dijon, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Mix until combined. Allow to chill for at least 1 hour. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*Everyone has their own method for hard boiling eggs, but this is my fool proof method. The shells slide right off!
*I really like to serve this egg salad on a sandwich with seedy toasted bread and fresh arugula. The peppery bite from the greens balances the richness of the egg salad really well.
*Non stick skillets are not great for caramelizing onions/shallots. Cast iron works great. For even easier clean up, I like to use an enamel coated cast iron skillet. It works beautifully. This is the one I use for small jobs.
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