Egg Salad with Tarragon Sauce

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

I usually serve this dish as a first course for our Easter meal. It can easily be doubled if you have a big crowd or served as a main course at lunch with a big salad. No matter how and when you serve it, make sure you have plenty of crusty bread to sop up that sauce.

Serves 4–6

6 hard-boiled eggs (see below for our favorite method)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup whole milk
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

With the help of an egg slicer (you will get more even slices) slice the eggs and shingle on a platter. (If you don’t have an egg slicer, you can just quarter the eggs for the same result.)

In a bowl, whisk remaining ingredients with 1 tablespoon of the tarragon to create a smooth sauce.

Spoon the sauce over the eggs, sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of tarragon and serve. Season with flaky salt and freshly cracked pepper at the table.

To cook eggs: Use 6 cold eggs, straight from the fridge. Place eggs in a pot of cold water and bring to just under a boil, just as the tiny bubbles begin to get big. Watch this pot: Don’t walk away! Cover, remove from the heat and set a timer for exactly 6 minutes and 30 seconds. While the eggs rest, fill a bowl with ice and cold water. As soon as the timer goes off, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and chill in the ice bath. Wait 5–6 minutes before peeling. Your yolks will be moist and vibrantly yellow.

This recipe appeared in the Spring 2020 issue as part of a larger story on Eggs.