Mayonnaise is the magic ingredient

After coloring a dozen eggs for the Easter Bunny, we still have a few hard-boiled eggs left in the refrigerator. Some were sliced over baby spinach leaves; several became appetizers in the form of deviled eggs, and a couple were eaten out of hand sprinkled with salt and pepper. The rest are headed for my favorite lunch: egg salad. 

It’s as common as tuna salad, ham salad or chicken salad, but we may not realize that these mayonnaise-bound concoctions did not appear on the lunch counter menu in this country before the early 1900s. However, the magic ingredient - mayonnaise - has a much older and somewhat contested pedigree. 

Most of us (myself included) assume that mayonnaise is a French invention. But, on the island of Minorca, off the coast of Spain, the inhabitants claim their port city of Mahon is the site where mayonnaise originated. According to Spanish legend, sometime during the middle 1700s, this island was under siege from French invaders led by the Duke de Richelieu. 

When the cook responsible for feeding the forces couldn’t find cream for a victory celebration, the locals taught him how to make their special sauce: mayonnaise, named for the city of Mahon. Some food historians argue that the proof of this history lies in the absence of any mention of mayonnaise in French cuisine until nearly 100 years later. 

Others scoff at the possibility of such an unsophisticated island populace having the skill or creativity to invent mayonnaise, and they believe its true provenance is Bayonne, known for its artisanal hams. Many French scholars assert the name comes from the French words manier (to handle) or moyeu (for yolk). 

No matter who or where can be confirmed as the rightful source of the sauce, nothing about it appeared in British or other European cookbooks until the 1800s, when it is described as an element of French cuisine.

Shortly thereafter, mayonnaise reached the United States, featured on gourmet restaurant menus as a garnish for steamed lobster and broiled chicken. 

By the early 1900s, Hellmann’s familiar glass bottle, decorated with a blue ribbon, started appearing on grocery shelves.

German immigrant Richard Hellmann developed his recipe for the customers at his delicatessen. He then began bottling it for restaurants and retail customers, developing a vast trucking distribution network. 

Mayonnaise became a popular ingredient in salads and sandwich fillers, and for disguising flaws in fresh vegetables. In 1925, a group of 40 companies that were the largest manufacturers formed the Mayonnaise Manufacturers Association of America, electing Richard Hellmann as board chair. 

Today, the Association for Dressings and Sauces, an international trade organization, advertises the safety of commercial mayonnaise as compared to the short shelf life of Hellmann’s original handmade sauce. And recipes for mayonnaise-laden dishes continue to appear from salad dressings to oven-fried-chicken breading. 

Now, back to our egg salad. The most basic (and in my opinion, the most delicious) combination includes just a few ingredients: mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and chopped eggs. We use an egg slicer to first cut the eggs crosswise, then turn the egg in the slicer by 90 degrees to chop the slices into uniform bits. 

As with so many long-lived dishes, the modifications to egg salad are many, from the sweet pickle relish added by Pennsylvania Dutch and Southern cooks to the tea-time favorite additions of chopped cucumber and watercress. To serve egg salad, thin slices of bread are a familiar option, while beds of lettuce or hollowed tomatoes also work well.

To solve the challenge of peeling hard-boiled eggs, here's a method to try shortly after they're boiled: place the hard-boiled egg in a small saucepan with about an inch of water; cover the pot and place it on a hard surface; rapidly swish the pot in circles for 15 seconds, crashing the egg into the sides of the pan; remove the egg and peel the shell. 

Whether we should be thanking the Spanish, the French or Richard Hellmann, a wide variety of mayonnaise brands and flavors are readily available to make your favorite egg salad.

Basic Egg Salad 

4 hard-boiled eggs 
2 T mayonnaise 
1/2 t Dijon mustard 
salt & pepper, to taste 
parsley or chives for garnish 

Peel the eggs and chop into uniform bits. Place in a bowl along with mayonnaise and mustard. Toss gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on toasted bread slices or on a bed of lettuce garnished with parsley or chives. Yield: 2 servings.

Curried Egg Salad

6 hard-boiled eggs 
1/4 C minced red bell pepper 
1/4 C minced celery 
1/4 C mayonnaise 
1 t Dijon mustard 
2 t curry powder 
salt & pepper, to taste 
paprika (optional) 

Peel the eggs and chop into uniform bits. Place in a bowl along with red pepper, celery, mayonnaise, mustard and curry powder. Toss gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on toasted bread slices or on a bed of lettuce.
Garnish with paprika, if desired. Yield: 3 servings.

Bacon & Egg Salad 

6 hard-boiled eggs 
1 T minced red onion 
1/2 C mayonnaise 
4 slices cooked bacon 
salt & pepper, to taste 
snipped chives for garnish (optional) 

Peel the eggs and chop into uniform bits. Place in a bowl along with onion and mayonnaise. Crumble bacon into small bits and add to the bowl. Toss gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on toasted bread slices or on a bed of lettuce. Garnish with snipped chives, if desired. Yield: 3 servings.