AS OF TODAY, WE'RE STILL EXPERIENCING SUMMER . . .

IT IS OCTOBER 1ST and the mercury hit 80º today. Oh well. 

I decided to make Caponata and Egg Salad this morning. Click on the link: Caponatina from last year (September 22, 2012) for the complete recipe. 

I made this because there was enough of everything to make it well and quite frankly, I think it was better than last year's. Considering I'm going to give a tiny jar of the stuff to a vegan friend of mine, I left out the anchovy and the preserved lemons (didn't have any in the house!) and the sugar, but doubled the raisin and vinegar content to make a super agrodolce and that is exactly how it turned out. 

I hope she likes it!

Egg Salad

I don't like egg salad with large curds of egg whites so this is almost like caviar as the whites are beaten to a pulp with a pastry blender. There are two schools of thought - actually three - on egg salad: Jewish or French and then there is Italian.

This recipe can be interchangeable depending on the spice or herb you use (French - Tarragon; Jewish/Russian - Dill; Italian - Basil or the very complicated and hearty Insalata Russa with peas and tons of mayonnaise and carrots and relish which will not be discussed further on this page).

4 hard boiled eggs

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped scallion (green and white)

1 small squirt anchovy paste

1 heaping tbs. Coleman's powdered mustard OR

2 tsp. French's yellow mustard

2-3 heaping tbs. Hellman's mayonnaise (but not too much)

1 tsp. creme fraiche or heavy cream

1 tsp. fresh herbs of your choice as mentioned above

Before boiling the eggs take a push pin and insert a tiny hole at the top of the egg and place in a pot with cold water. Bring the water to the boil and maintain at a rolling boil for a minute. Turn off the water and cover the pot and keep the eggs in the water for 8 minutes. Drain the hot water, pour cold water constantly from faucet for about 2 minutes. Drain and cover the pot and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Peel the eggs making sure that you peel off the membrane between the shell and the white. It should all come off in one or two pieces. Rinse the eggs, slice in an egg slicer (both ways) and put in a bowl. Add the scallion, the celery and anchovy and the Colemans. 

Using a pastry cutter, mash the egg mixture into a fine crumble. 

Add the mayonnaise, creme fraiche and herbs and continue to process with the pastry cutter. It should be creamy and thick. Finish off the salad by adding a dash or two of:

Tabasco or Sriracha* Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Paprika 
Nutmeg
And more of whichever herb you are using plus a sprinkling of chopped parsley of you like.

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or longer but you should definitely use up the salad within 2 days.

*Sriracha can completely overpower a dish with pungency and heat if used in excess - so one dash should suffice for the quantity of eggs being used.

Buon appetito!