Author Notes: This recipe closely mirrors what I would call the best egg salad sandwich I’ve ever eaten in my life, widely available at “conbini”/convenience stores across Japan. My personal favorite one was at 7-Eleven, but they all have the same idea: super-smooth eggs that don’t shy away from mayo, in between soft white bread.
I use a food processor to fluff up the egg salad, and add salt to taste as I puree. Use pepper sparingly; it should be super subtle. (It’s better to use pepper that hasn’t been freshly ground.) While milk bread is ideal, any soft white bread should do the trick; just make sure the crusts are off. If you don’t have kewpie mayo, regular mayo will do (but kewpie mayo is great—and you’ll get good use out of a bottle, available online and at most Asian markets). —Nikkitha Bakshani
Makes: 1 sandwich
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients
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2
slices soft white bread (shokupan is best)
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2
hard-boiled eggs
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3
tablespoons kewpie mayonnaise
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salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- You can boil eggs however you like, but I recommend a method that still yields a bright, yellow yolk. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add a splash of rice vinegar. Place the eggs in the water and boil, uncovered, for 9 minutes. Remove and place in a large bowl of ice water. Peel the eggs in the water (it comes off easier). Cut the hard-boiled eggs in halves or quarters and place in a food processor.
- While eggs are boiling, cut the crusts off two slices of bread.
- Add the mayo to the food processor, and a little bit of salt. Puree for a few seconds. Taste, add more salt and pepper, if necessary. You won’t be processing it for too long—just enough for the egg salad to look smooth and unified.
- Spread over one slice of bread, so that there’s a thick layer. You might not want to spread it too close to the edges, as the pressure of your fingers on the sandwich might make the filling ooze out a bit. (But it’s a pretty oozy sandwich, so don’t fret.) Top with the other slice and cut in half, gently, with a sharp knife. You can also enjoy this open-faced; that’s not the 7-Eleven way but it’s still good. There will be leftover egg salad; set it aside, refrigerate, and use within a few days.
/0715be0f-bef7-4799-b33d-1ef89fe48906--2017-0912_japanese-egg-salad-sandwich_bobbi-lin_2051.jpg "Japanese 7-Eleven Egg Salad Sandwich 2")
Photo by Bobbi Lin
