How to Make Egg Salad 10x Better, According to Ina Garten

Egg salad may be simple, but in the hands of Ina Garten it gets the royal treatment. "Egg salad sandwiches are one of my secret indulgences," Ina confessed in her caption on Instagram, before adding, "but here they're dressed up as open-faced tartines." We're listening, Ina.

This is the kind of lunch recipe that perfectly captures the Ina effect we all know and love: take something humble, like an egg salad sandwich, and make it feel a little more special. It's still the dish you crave when you're in need of comfort, just with a simple, chic upgrade.

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What Is a Tartine?

Before we jump into the recipe, let's talk tartines. The word itself is French (of course it is), and it refers to an open-faced sandwich. Some rules first: Tartines are typically built on toasted or grilled bread and piled high with flavorful toppings. And because Ina knows that everything sounds (and tastes) better in French, and she's never missed an opportunity to make a dish feel like something you'd find at a little Parisian café, she calls this a tartine. Say what you will, but tartine is a more romantic term than "egg salad on toast."

Related: The Best Way to Slice a Bagel, According to Ina Garten

What Are the Ingredients for Ina Garten's Egg Salad Tartines?

You can get the full recipe on the Barefoot Contessa site, but you'll need 12 extra-large eggs, good mayonnaise (Ina likes Hellman's or Duke's), sweet relish, whole-grain mustard, minced fresh dill or chives (plus extra for garnish), kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and slices of toasted whole-grain bread to make this.
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How to Make Ina Garten's Egg Salad Tartines

Start by boiling a large pot of water and carefully lowering the eggs into it, making sure not to crack the shells. Lower the heat and simmer the eggs for 10 minutes. Drain the pot and refill it with cool tap water. Let the eggs sit until they're cool enough to handle.

To peel the eggs the Ina way, tap both ends of the egg on a cutting board, then roll the egg between your hand and the board to crack the shell. Peel under running water and let the eggs come to room temperature.

Place the peeled eggs in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 10 to 12 times until the eggs are chopped but not pureed. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the mayonnaise, sweet relish, whole-grain mustard, dill, salt and pepper.

To assemble, lay out the toasted bread slices, top each with a generous amount of egg salad and garnish with fresh dill or chives. Finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature, either whole or cut in half.

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