Charles Kelsey, his wife, Rachel, and their son, Henry, spend time at their family home in Oak Bluffs in the summer. This egg salad is a lunch staple for them, and one that they serve at Cutty’s, their recently opened sandwich café in Brookline. Note: This recipe can easily be cut in half. Super-fresh eggs always taste great, but slightly older eggs will be easier to peel after hard-boiling.

Serves 6

  • 1 dozen eggs
  • 1 small shallot, finely grated
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and more to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and more to taste
  • Pinch cayenne pepper, and more to taste
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 12 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
  • 8 medium radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a large saucepan, combine the eggs and 3 quarts water. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let sit for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of your eggs. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain the eggs, transfer to the ice water, and let sit for about 10 minutes, until cool. Peel the eggs and chop coarsely.

2. While the eggs cook, in a small bowl whisk the shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together and let sit for 15 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, gently fold the eggs, shallot mixture, and mayonnaise together until just combined. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.

4. To assemble the sandwiches, lay out six slices of bread and spread the radish slices over them. Divide the egg salad evenly in six portions and spoon it over the radish slices. Sprinkle the olives and cilantro atop the egg salad on each sandwich, then place the second piece of bread on top.

This recipe was originally published with the article, The Coop Scoop.