World's Best Egg Salad Sandwich
After our recent trip to Los Olivos, I had to recreate the best egg salad sandwich from Bell’s Restaurant. In the small town of Los Alamos is a Michelin restaurant. Now, this is not your typical Michelin restaurant with the set 12-course meal, French foam, pate…it’s so much better. Bell’s is a family-run, French-inspired bistro with some of the most amazing food I’ve had in a long time. From the caviar & chips (a personal favorite) to escargot, moules frites, local wine, and of course the famous eggs salad sandwich. Here is my version, which you may see at the Farmer’s Daughters soon.
Ingredients
For the Egg Salad
12 large eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise (I use @primal avocado mayo)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chives
2 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper
For the tomato jam
16 Oz canned whole tomatoes (or use fresh if tomatoes are in season)
2 cups medium yellow onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
Method
Make the egg salad
Fill a large pot halfway with water. The pot should be large enough to fit all the eggs in one layer on the bottom, with water deep enough to cover the eggs by an inch.
Add a tablespoon of salt to the water and bring to a boil on the stovetop over high heat.
Meanwhile fill a large bowl with ice water.
Once the water is boiling, add all of the eggs. Lower them with a strainer, spider, or spoon, so they don’t hit the bottom of the pot and crack open.
Boil eggs for 8 minutes and then plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking.
Allow to cool completely and then peel and quarter.
Make the tomato jam
Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
In a large heavy bottomed pot melt the butter and olive oil.
Add onions and cook over medium heat until they become translucent.
Add salt, sugar and pepper and stir.
Add tomatoes, including juice, and cook over high heat until liquid has reduced by half.
Put the pot in the oven uncovered. Stir every 20 minutes, the surface should start to blacken a little bit, and the consistency should be similar to tomato paste. This will take approximately 3 hours.
After the mixture has reached the consistency of tomato paste, approximately three hours, transfer to a food processor and process until smooth.
Assemble the Sandwich
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a cookie sheet or sheet tray in the oven.
Butter two sides of the bread, and spread the tomato jam on the inside of one piece.
Toast the bread butter side down for about 7 minutes, or until the bread appears to be turning golden.
Spread your desired amount of egg salad on one slice of bread, add a pinch more salt, top with the other slice and serve.
