Serves a Crowd

Nancy Silverton’s Egg Salad With Bagna Cauda Toast

February 27, 2018
4.3
3 Ratings
Photo by Rocky Luten
  • Prep time 45 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 6 to 8
Author Notes

“It’s a very straightforward egg salad,” chef Nancy Silverton writes. “What makes it special is that every element of the salad is done correctly.” While “correctly” is in the eye of the beholder, especially with something as personal as this, I do believe that if you love egg salads, this one will be an especially revelatory experience for you. And if you aren’t so sure about them, this is the one that will convince you. Adapted slightly from Mozza at Home (Knopf, 2016). To read the full story head here and if you need to fix a broken mayonnaise/aioli, just watch this!
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Nancy Silverton’s Egg Salad With Bagna Cauda Toast
Ingredients
  • For the Egg Salad with Homemade Garlic Mayonnaise
  • 13 extra-large eggs plus 2 extra-large egg yolks, divided
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium to large garlic clove, peeled
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons minced fresh chives (depending on your serving dish)
  • For the Bagna Cauda Toasts
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil + more for brushing the bread
  • 20 anchovy fillets, about 2 ounces (preferably salt-packed, rinsed and backbone removed), finely chopped and smashed to a paste with the flat side of the knife
  • 11 to 13 medium to large garlic cloves, peeled (divided)
  • Six or eight 1/2-inch-thick slices from a loaf of country bread
  • Maldon sea salt (or another flaky sea salt such as fleur de sel)
Directions
  1. For the Egg Salad with Homemade Garlic Mayonnaise
  2. To make the garlic mayonnaise: Combine the vinegar and lemon juice into a small bowl. Combine the neutral oil and olive oil in a measuring cup with a spout. Put the 2 egg yolks in a mini food processor. (Alternatively, you can do this by whisking vigorously by hand.) Using a fine Microplane, grate the garlic into the bowl of the food processor with the yolks, add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and blend for about 30 seconds, until the yolk is pale yellow. (If blade is spinning without catching the yolk, you can add some of the vinegar-lemon juice mixture, bit by bit, until it does.) Add a few drops of the combined oil and pulse to incorporate the oil into the egg mixture. With the machine running and the hole in the lid open, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the remaining oil a few drops at a time until the egg and oil are emulsified.
  3. Turn off the food processor, take off the lid, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, and add a teaspoon of the vinegar-lemon juice mixture. Return the lid and pulse to combine. Continue adding the oil a few drops at a time with the machine running until you’ve added about half the oil. Stop the machine again and add another teaspoon of the vinegar-lemon juice mixture. Add the remaining oil in a slow steady stream with the machine running constantly, stopping when the mayonnaise thickens to add the remaining vinegar-lemon juice mixture and pulse to combine. If at any point the mixture gets too thick, you can thin with a bit of water. If you run into any trouble with mayonnaise breaking, don’t stress! See the video linked in the note above for how to salvage it.
  4. Use the mayonnaise in the egg salad or refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days. This recipe makes about twice the mayonnaise you’ll need for the egg salad—use the other half as a dip or spread (even on egg salad sandwiches).
  5. To make perfect hard-cooked eggs: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. (The salt is to help the whites solidify quickly if there's a crack in an egg—it doesn't penetrate the shell to season the egg.) Carefully add the 13 whole eggs, lower the heat, and simmer the eggs for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, make an ice bath in a medium bowl and create a bed of paper towels on a plate.
  6. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 5 minutes. Remove one tester egg and crack it open. The yolk should be bright yellow and firm but slightly wet in the center. If the yolk is not yet set, leave the rest of the eggs in the hot water for another minute. (Either way, if the tester egg is done to your liking, salt it and eat it as a snack.)
  7. Transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool completely. Once cool, carefully peel them under running water, and place the peeled eggs on the paper towels to dry.
  8. To make the egg salad: Break the eggs in half to separate the whites from the yolks. Break the yolks in half and drop them into a large bowl. Break the whites into small pieces (about 8 pieces per egg) and drop them into the bowl with the yolks. Sprinkle the eggs with kosher salt, to taste. Add 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise, and aggressively stir the ingredients together using a rubber spatula until combined. (This breaks down the egg yolks, which thickens the mayonnaise and ultimately makes for a creamier egg salad.) Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the egg salad or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To serve, transfer the egg salad to a deep serving bowl, piling it in a high mound. Sprinkle generously with the chives.
  1. For the Bagna Cauda Toasts
  2. To make the bagna cauda: Combine the butter, 1/2 cup olive oil, and anchovies in a small saucepan. Using a fine microplane, grate 10 to 12 cloves of the garlic into the pan and cook over medium heat until the anchovies dissolve and the garlic is soft and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t brown. Reduce the heat to low and cook the bagna cauda for another 2 to 3 minutes to meld the flavors.
  3. Turn off the heat and let the bagna cauda rest in the pan until you’re ready to use it. Serve warm. Stir to recombine the ingredients before serving and from time to time when it’s on the buffet or dinner table.
  4. To make the toast: With the oven rack in the middle position, heat the oven to 350° F. Lay the bread slices on a baking sheet, brush the tops with olive oil, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and crispy. Remove the toast from the oven and rub the oiled side of each toast with the remaining garlic clove.
  5. To serve: Give the bagna cauda a stir and spoon 1 tablespoon on each piece of toast. Put the remaining bagna cauda in a tiny saucepan or bowl with a small spoon. Sprinkle a pinch of parsley and a pinch of sea salt on each piece of toast, artfully stack the toast on a small platter or cutting board, and serve alongside the bowl of egg salad.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

38 Reviews

Kimball P. March 20, 2019
Water is a precious resource, there must be another way to peel hard boiled eggs without wasting so much.
Renee H. December 20, 2018
Love eggs, hated egg salad, until this recipe. I ate the egg salad for a week (5 days) during the summer when I was getting my egg CSA and it kept getting better. Didn't make the bagna cauda toasts, but did a garlic bread instead and lettuce cups for lighter snacking. I don't think it would have turned out as good without good eggs, so I would definitely take that into consideration.
Myra F. March 31, 2018
For the bagna cauda the recipe calls for 11 to 13 cloves of garlic, divided. I see that the garlic is used in 2 places but I don't see how many cloves are used in each place. Did I just miss it? Bottom line, how many are used each place. Thanks. Looks like a great recipe and I'm anxious to try it.
Kristen M. March 31, 2018
Hi Myra—sorry for the confusion. It should be 10-12 cloves for the bagna cauda and one more for the toasts. I’ve clarified in the recipe. Hope you like it!
Laurabee March 3, 2018
Simple recipe....but technique is everything. The right texture for the boiled egg...hand torn, transformed this from good to sublime. This is worthy of the investment of time to make the mayo. The crunchy bite of the bagna cauda toasts are such an inspired vehicle for the rich creaminess of the egg salad. I just loved this. Wouldn’t tinker with this recipe AT ALL. Thank you!
Chas March 1, 2018
13 eggs? Great where do I buy a bakers dozen? Wouldn't 12 suffice!
Kristen M. March 1, 2018
That extra one is a tester egg, but you can round down if you don't want to buy a whole extra dozen—the process will be the same, but you might want to tweak the amount of mayo and salt to taste.
Louie February 28, 2018
Egg Salad Step 7 says: "Sprinkle the eggs with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise..." Yikes! 2 tablespoons? That can't be right.
Kristen M. February 28, 2018
Louie, you're right! I've re-tested and updated the recipe—I'm sorry for the error. See my response to Jade below for more details.
Judy L. February 28, 2018
Refrigerate for two days. What if you live alone? Way too much work, will spoil too soon. I am really tired of these recipes for huge numbers ... or even for four/five people. Lots of people live alone, have not great fridge or freezer space.
Kristen M. February 28, 2018
Hi Judy, I hear you—the great thing about this (and any Genius Recipe) is that you can learn new ideas and use them in your own cooking—there are a number of takeaways from the Nancy Silverton's technique in the original article (linked above in the headnote), like how to gently cook and break down the eggs, that you could use in any egg salad you make. Smaller scale garlic mayonnaise wouldn't work well in the food processor, but it would be quick to whisk together by hand.
Judy L. March 3, 2018
Thanks. But many of us who live alone are not quite adept at scaling down. I would not know the proportions for the garlic mayonnaise, for example. I think many of us would appreciate recipes for one and two people. Thank you.
Kristen M. March 4, 2018
I understand and will keep that in mind—I try to look for a good variety of recipes to help out as many home cooks as I can.
Mary May 29, 2019
I agree! I cook for myself and there are so many recipes I would like to try but am always uncertain how to scale them down while keeping the intended flavors, textures etc...
I usually just make them as written and try to eat it all over a few days. A person can get tired of egg salad even one as good as this :)
jenny June 4, 2019
There's a website called "Dessert for Two" that is exactly what you're looking for. : )
(and it includes more than just dessert recipes)
Mary June 4, 2019
Thank you! I’ll take a look.
Twyla February 28, 2018
This is a lot of bagna cauda. How long does it keep.
Kristen M. February 28, 2018
I would use it within a week, but you can definitely scale the recipe down if you're not making it for a crowd.
Janet February 28, 2018
I have a mini-processor that was not cheap but it doesn't have a hole in the lid. Can the mayo be made in a blender?
Kristen M. February 28, 2018
It can, but in my experience (with my wimpy blender) it struggled before it got as thick as I'd like—it might be easier to do it whisking by hand if yours is wimpy, too.
dora February 28, 2018
I've tried this twice and it's not emulsifying!! What am I doing wrong?
dora February 28, 2018
Sorry, I tried making the mayonnaise twice....
Kristen M. February 28, 2018
Hi Dora, it's not you—mayo can just be persnickety! Have you tried watching the video linked in the headnote? Here it is: https://food52.com/blog/3711-how-to-fix-broken-aioli
dora February 28, 2018
Thanks! I'm going to give it one more try (I threw out the other two and now wish I hadn't! I'm using a food processor and might just try a hand wisk.
dora February 28, 2018
No success with the food processor (3rd time!) but this time rescued it by hand wisking and following the video. I have a cuisinart with the small bowl attachment and used the metal blade.
Kristen M. February 28, 2018
I think the 2 biggest areas that can go wrong are: 1) if the blade is missing the egg yolks at first and they're not blending and turning pale (and therefore the first bits of oil don't get blended in gradually) and 2) streaming the oil in too fast at first—it should really go in a thin, thin dribble at first, which takes a lot of patience :) Good luck on round 3!
Kristen M. February 28, 2018
Oops, missed your last comment—I'm glad you were able to save it!
Peppa April 29, 2018
I tried to make mayonnaise so many different ways, and it always failed. I finally figured out that I was sticking to recipe amounts too much. When your mayo is thick and beautiful, do not add any more oil, regardless of the amount called for in the recipe. Stop as soon as your sauce thickens.
Cheryl February 21, 2021
Use an immersion blender.
Jade D. February 28, 2018
That seems like an awful lot of salt for egg salad. And I love salt. I find I have to be careful salting egg salad mostly because of the mayonnaise intensifying the saltiness in eggs. I love egg salad and definitely want to try but may add salt more to taste.
Kristen M. February 28, 2018
Hi Jade, wanted to make sure you saw that one of the tablespoons of salt just goes into the water while it's cooking to coagulate any egg white that might sneak out of a crack, but doesn't season the eggs. (And I'd recommend using Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is less salty than Morton's, or adding it to taste as you said.)
Kristen M. February 28, 2018
Hi Jade, to follow up—I just retested it and you were right: the salt was definitely incorrect. (Somehow, in the three times we tested this, between my kitchen and our test kitchen, we must have all read it as 2 teaspoons in the moment and it was completely delicious, so I didn't catch it.) I've updated the recipe—thank you and apologies for doubling down on the error!
Diane February 28, 2018
The egg situation is unclear. I'd assume the mayo would be made with raw eggs, as in other mayo recipes, but this one seems to call for all eggs to be hard boiled. Confusion!!!
rebecca_ross February 28, 2018
the mayonaise is made with the two extra uncooked yolks
Kristen M. February 28, 2018
Yes, Rebecca is right! I just updated the recipe to clarify a bit more, and moved the garlic mayonnaise instructions before the egg-cooking (since that's what you'll want to do first, plus it can be made ahead). You might want to refresh the page—hopefully it's clearer now!
Diane February 28, 2018
Thanks. That's what I figured, but I second-guessed myself because Food52 introduces so many new techniques!
Anonymous February 28, 2018
I love eggs, eat a lot of eggs, so I am excited to try this recipe.

I have a couple of items to "plug" as related to boiled eggs.

Innovative Color Changing Egg Timer -

https://smile.amazon.com/Innovative-Changing-Sensitive-Perfect-Moxe/dp/B071LDSNXQ/ref=sr_1_43?ie=UTF8&qid=1519836466&sr=8-43&keywords=egg+tools

The NEST BOILED EGG PEELER - This is not just a gimmick! If you have problems peeling your eggs, without making the boiled egg look like the surface of the moon, this is for you! Honest, it works!!! If you dont need the above item, do consider this one!

https://smile.amazon.com/NEGG-BOILED-EGG-PEELER-WHITE/dp/B01N235WK4/ref=pd_bxgy_79_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01NATZUY2&pd_rd_r=3D90C6ASDHJ3BP514CXF&pd_rd_w=yGJE0&pd_rd_wg=IaPy5&refRID=3D90C6ASDHJ3BP514CXF&th=1

jodyrah March 2, 2018
Any small, lidded container will work the same as the $17 Negg.