A Chef’s Secret for the Best Egg Salad

Place 6 room-temperature eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water 1 inch above the crowns. Bring to a rapid rolling boil over high heat, then immediately turn off the heat source, cover tightly with a lid, and let sit undisturbed for exactly 9 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the hot eggs using a slotted spoon directly into an ice water bath. Submerge for 5 minutes to shrink the egg body away from the inner shell membrane and stop the cooking process instantly.

Crack shells against the counter and peel under a thin stream of cool water. Pat dry with paper towels. Place on a cutting board and hand-chop with a sharp knife into uniform ¼-inch cubes (never mash with a fork).

In a medium bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice until smooth and unified.

Add the hand-chopped eggs, ¼ cup diced celery, 2 tbsp minced red onion, 1 tbsp herbs, ½ tsp smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper into the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold ingredients from the bottom up until just combined.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the sulfur notes dissipate and allow aromatics to infuse into the dressing. Dust with an extra pinch of smoked paprika and serve on toasted croissants, butter lettuce cups, or rye bread.