It’s amazing what magic you can conjure with the simplest of ingredients. To me, few ingredients are as versatile as the egg, and especially when kicking off a new year, it ticks so many boxes. Where the egg really shines is in a salad, which need never be boring. These four egg salads form a collection of some of my favourite experiments of late – and they’re just too good not to share!
EGG MAYONNAISE SALAD
You knew this was coming, but this is the zhooshed up version you make when you’re trying to impress someone by making it seem like you just “threw it together”.
TIME: 20 minutes | SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
4 Nulaid Free Range XL eggs
½ finely chopped red onion
4 baby finely chopped gherkins
45 ml creamy mayonnaise
salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 8 minutes.
Place the eggs immediately in cold ice water to stop the cooking process. Shell them once they have cooled.
Place the shelled eggs in a bowl and press fine with the back of a fork.
Add the onion, gherkin and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Spoon the mixture into a plating mould and garnish with fresh salad leaves. Serve with a slice of toast.
TRADITIONAL MIMOSA SALAD
Normally, this salad is served in a large bowl with layers of mayonnaise in between every other layer, but this “deconstructed” version just feels like a breath of fresh air, doesn’t it?
TIME: 1 hour | SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
4 Nulaid Free Range XL eggs
200 g smoked trout
10 g dill, finely chopped
300 ml creamy mayonnaise
125 ml crème fraîche
2 carrots, cleaned and grated
1 onion, finely chopped
200 g mature gouda cheese, grated
2 large potatoes, boiled
METHOD
Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 8 minutes.
Place the eggs immediately in ice cold water to stop the cooking process.
Shell the eggs and halve them. Scoop out the yolks and mash with the back of the fork, then mash the egg whites too.
Cut the trout into small blocks and mix with the chopped dill.
Now, instead of layering the salad, arrange all the elements separate on a serving plate.
DEVILED EGG AND ASPASRAGUS SALAD
The devil is in the details, as they say, which is probably where these beauties got their name. Devilling is one of my favourite things to do with an egg to glam it up. Yes, it takes a bit more effort, but it’s so worth it!
TIME: 30 minutes | SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS
for the salad
4 Nulaid Free Range XL eggs
30 ml creamy mayonnaise
2,5 ml Dijon mustard
5 ml smoked paprika
2,5 ml cayenne pepper
2,5 ml salt
2,5 ml sugar
200 g asparagus
for the dressing
1 Nulaid Free Range XL egg
5 ml Worcestershire sauce
30 ml lemon juice
80 g finely grated lemon juice
salt and freshly grated black pepper
METHOD
for the salad
Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 8 minutes.
Place eggs immediately in ice cold water to stop the cooking process.
Shell the eggs and halve them. Scoop out the yolks.
Add the mayonnaise and mustard and mash it together with a fork.
Season with paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and sugar. Mix well and spoon back into the halved egg whites.
Bring a saucepan with salted water to a boil. Carefully add the asparagus to the boiling water.
Leave the asparagus in the boiling water for 1½ minutes.
Drain the asparagus and immediately place in ice water. Once cooled, dry on a kitchen towel.
for the dressing
Pour the water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Place the egg into the boiling water for 1 minute. Spoon out and place into ice cold water to stop the cooking process.
Open the egg and carefully spoon out the yolk. Add the rest the ingredients and mix well.
Arrange the asparagus on serving plates and place the Deviled Eggs on top.
Pour some dressing over asparagus and serve.
BACON AND RADICCHIO SALAD
This salad hits so many of the right notes that it’s hard to find a more “full-mouth” experience with something so simple. There’s the creaminess of the eggs, offset by the umami hidden in the bacon, the saltiness of the poor man’s parmesan, the crunch of the toasted almonds… need I go on? Because I can!
TIME: 30 minutes | SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS
for the salad
15 ml olive oil
8 rashers streaky bacon, cut into small blocks
2 Nulaid Free Range XL eggs
20 g radicchio leaves or any leaves of your choice
30 flaked almonds
for the poor mans parmesan
3 slices white bread
100 g (110 ml) butter
50 ml olive oil
3 sprigs fresh thyme
20 ml finely chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
for the watercress dressing
5 ml Dijon mustard
30 ml lemon juice
20 g watercress
125 ml olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
for the salad
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the bacon and fry until crispy. Drain on a kitchen towel.
Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 5 minutes. Then, place the eggs immediately in cold ice water to stop the cooking process.
Place the almonds in hot pan and fry till slightly toasted. Let the almonds cool
for the poor man’s parmesan cheese
Place the bread in a food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs form.
Melt the butter and olive oil in a saucepan and add the breadcrumbs, thyme and parsley.
Fry until crispy and season with salt and pepper. Let it cool.
for the dressing
Place the Dijon mustard, lemon juice and watercress in a blender. Blend the ingredients together and slowly add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
to serve
Arrange the radicchio leaves on a serving plate. Sprinkle with bacon and poor man’s parmesan.
Halve the eggs and plate. Sprinkle with almonds and drizzle with dressing.
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