Egg Salad Sandwiches
Scandinavians
are famous for serving pretty open-faced sandwiches at parties. Yes, to make the
filling, you have to peel a few eggs. To make the task easier, gently pierce
each end of the eggs with a thumbtack before cooking. When the eggs are cool,
crack the shells and then peel each one under cold water. I prefer this filling
on rye bread, but you can use any bread you prefer. This is also a great filling
for canapés. Rye breads are a favorite in Scandinavia, Northern
Russia and Poland as rye grows well in cool, dry climates and acidic soil.
6 large eggs
¼ cup finely
chopped cucumber chips
¼ cup finely
chopped celery stalks
¼ cup
mayonnaise
1 ½ teaspoons
white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon
mustard powder
1 teaspoon
seasoning salt
Pinch ground
white pepper
Sweet paprika
Fresh parsley sprigs
Buttermilk, rye or whole-wheat bread
1. Cover
the eggs with water in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring the
water to a boil,
on a cool back burner. Let the
17 minutes. This prevents overcooking and a green ring
from forming around the yolks.
2. Drain off the hot water. Fill
the pan with cold water and add
a tray of ice cubes to speed up the process. When the
eggs
are cool enough, crack and peel off the
most pointed end. Use an egg cutter to slice eggs one
way,
then turn the egg and slice again. You can also chop
the eggs
with a Chef's
3. In a large bowl, stir the
cucumber chips, celery, mayonnaise,
vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped
eggs.
4. Use a curly-edged biscuit cutter
to cut out rounds of bread.
Top each round with a
spoonful of the egg mixture. Sprinkle
with paprika and garnish with parsley.
Makes 12
open-face sandwiches