Quick and Easy

The Ultimate Tomato Sandwich, With Jammy Eggs & Herby Mayo

August 17, 2018
4.6
12 Ratings
Photo by Ty Mecham
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 6 minutes
  • Serves 1
Author Notes

The is a recipe for those times when you find the world’s best-looking tomato and you’re so excited to eat it, you don’t even have the patience to close your sandwich before taking a bite. It celebrates heavy-handed mayonnaise application, yolky dregs, and flaky salt.

A note on choosing an oil for your mayo: Neutral is my go-to because it never overpowers the herbs or tomatoes, but feel free to substitute in your favorite olive oil if you want to amp up the flavor even more.

If your emulsion breaks while preparing your herb mayo, stay cool! Grab another egg yolk and put it in a clean bowl, and beat it together with another teaspoon of lemon juice, and another teaspoon of room-temp water. Drop by drop, add your broken emulsion as you whisk. Once it comes together, continue to whisk as you stream in the rest of the broken emulsion.

You’ll have more herb mayo than you need for just one sandwich, which roughly translates to “a very compelling reason to buy another tomato tomorrow.” Maybe even go crazy—buy two. —Ella Quittner

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe was featured in The Ultimate Tomato Sandwich Is Here, Get It While You Can. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon room-temperature water
  • 1 cup safflower oil (or another neutral oil)
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed basil and chives, very finely chopped (I like to blitz mine in a food processor, for ease); plus more for sprinkling
  • 2 slices rustic, crusty bread
  • 1 large ripe tomato (I like beefsteak), sliced roughly 1/2-inch thick
  • 1 pinch each flaky salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil for drizzling
Directions
  1. Set a pot of water over high heat. Once it reaches a rolling boil, gently add two eggs. Let them boil for six minutes exactly. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice and a large splash of cold water, and place it nearby. After six minutes, transfer the eggs to this ice bath.
  2. Make the herb mayonnaise. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, white vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, kosher salt, and water. While whisking like your life depends on it, begin to dribble in the oil a few drops at a time, checking that it’s fully distributed before adding more. Go slowly! Once you’ve added about a third of the oil this way, you’ll have the beginnings of a thick, creamy mayonnaise. Stream in the rest of the oil steadily, continuing to whisk frantically as you go. Once you’ve added all of the oil, fold in the herbs. Set aside as you prepare the other elements. (Note: Mayonnaise can be made a few days in advance and kept in the refrigerator—wait to chop and add the herbs until you’re ready to serve.)
  3. Toast the bread slices however you like (I prefer to do it in the stove at 450° F for 4 minutes). While the bread is toasting, peel the soft-boiled eggs in the ice bath.
  4. To compile your sandwich, slather one side of each piece of toast with herb mayo. Layer tomato slices on top, and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch each of flaky salt and pepper. Slice the soft-boiled eggs lengthwise and immediately layer on top of the tomatoes, so you don’t lose any yolky dregs! Garnish with a sprinkling of herbs, serve open-faced, and eat immediately.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Courtney C
    Courtney C
  • Ella Quittner
    Ella Quittner
  • srl7
    srl7
  • Deborah Sullivan
    Deborah Sullivan

7 Reviews

srl7 July 6, 2024
Wish there was a video! This was my first try making homemade mayo and it was just pure liquid. I used my stand mixer with the whisk attachment- not sure if that was the problem?
 
Courtney C. September 23, 2019
Was awesome - have made several times with the last tomatoes of the season. I also cheated with buying mayo and adding the mix ins, but still perfect. Thanks!
 
Ella Q. September 23, 2019
Hi Courtney,

So happy to hear you're making the most of late-season tomatoes!!!

Ella
 
Deborah S. October 5, 2018
I have to do this. Looks yummy. I love tomato sandwiches.
 
Ella Q. October 8, 2018
I too have never met a tomato sandwich I didn't like. :)
 
Joanna August 26, 2018
Yummm thanks for this recipe!! I've made a number of tomato sandwiches before but never thought about adding eggs, and the herbed mayo took it to another level. (Though I cheated and added chopped herbs to store-bought mayonnaise.) My eggs were a bit runny after 6 minutes, maybe because I had just taken them out of the fridge, but that just meant more yolk to sop up with bread!
 
Ella Q. August 27, 2018
Hi Joanna,

That sounds like a great "cheat"--much quicker! I hope it was delicious. :)

Ella