I’ve wanted to talk to you about Isot for a long time, but the little packet I opened sat on my counter for a few weeks, waiting to go into something else. But it wasn’t until I found myself with an overload of eggs, and an odd craving for an egg salad sandwich (something I haven’t had for years) that I found a way to feature this curiously delicious pepper, which has fruity and spicy nuances happening at the same time.
Isot is also known as Urfa Biber, and is a deep-purplish ground pepper. Whereas pomegranate molasses was all the rage a few years ago, Isot kind of got overlooked. And because I’m constantly asked “What’s the next food trend?” whenever I get interviewed, I’d like to propose Isot. It was given to me as part of a Turkish care package by Cenk, when he came to visit from Istanbul. And ever since I ripped open the curious little packet of pepper, which is the color of burnished eggplant skin, I’ve been intrigued by the thought of putting it in – or on – something else.
I found myself overstocked on eggs because a few weeks ago, my local grocery store had a promotion on free-range eggs. After watching a television program on how “caged” chickens are treated here and elsewhere, I decided a while back to use free-range eggs as much as I can. I go through a lot of eggs with all the baking and so forth, so I bought eight or ten 6-packs of free-range eggs. (Of course, my ‘quantity-buying’ always startles the cashiers here in Paris.) Then I found myself embroiled with projects other than baking around here, including construction and moving house, so with my surplus of eggs, I made egg salad.
You can use any kind of spicy or smoke red pepper or chile powder that you wish. I know this is kind of radical, in a retro, hippy-dippy way perhaps, but a handful of sunflower seeds is very good in egg salad. So next time you make egg salad, you might want to try adding some. They have sort of a sly nutty, buttery taste and a subtle crunch, which acts as a nice counterpoint and pairs surprisingly well with a scoop of mayonnaise and the eggs. I do, however, draw the line at sprouts. Which I used to eat because I thought that you were supposed to like them, until I realized I that I didn’t. So I stopped.
But I was happy to revisit egg salad, especially using an ingredient that was new to me. I spread it on some grainy bread, then I found myself scraping the last of it right out of the bowl.
Egg Salad
My uncle once told me a funny story: about forty years ago, he once set out to make a recipe that called for capers and he thought that he would use fresh, rather than something from a jar. He looked and looked and looked and couldn’t find fresh. He could only find the pickled ones, which he later realized were how capers were prepared and sold. And now, every time I open a jar I think of his story. I like a little bit of chopped capers in my egg salad, or something a bit vinegary. You could also use some chopped cornichons or pickles – and their juice – in place of the capers.You can use any kind of pepper powder that you want. Note that if you use a red one, it will turn the color of the egg salad a somewhat fiery shade of red.
- 6 hard-boiled eggs
- 1/3 cup (70g) mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon (drained) capers, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons caper juice
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper, such as Isot (Urfa), black pepper or red pepper powder
- sea salt
- optional: 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
Peel the eggs and chop them into pieces.
Mix the eggs in a bowl with the mayonnaise, mustard, capers, caper juice, pepper, and a good sprinkle salt. If desired, add the sunflower seeds.
To serve, spread on toasted grainy bread, then garnish with additional salt, pepper, and some chopped chives. Or for a real treat, top with a few strips of crispy bacon.
Related Links
Aleppo, Kirmizi, Maras and Urfa (An Educated Palate)
Urfa Biber (The Kitchn)
Homemade Eggless Mayonnaise
The Heat of the Matter (Gourmet)
How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs (Simply Recipes)
Urfa Biber (Serious Eats)
Ufra Pepper (The Perfect Pantry)
Turkey Kababs with Urfa Pepper (New York Times)
The Grainy Breads of Paris
Places to Buy Isot (Urfa Pepper)
Urfa Pepper (Formaggio Kitchen)
Urfa Turkish Red Pepper Flakes (Zingerman’s)
Urfa Chili Pepper (Vanns Spices)
Urfa (Amazon)
FAQs
Egg salad is always better fresh, but you can certainly store it for up to 4 days in the fridge for quick lunches or for potlucks and picnics.
How do you keep your egg salad from getting runny? ›
A few simple ideas to reduce watery egg salad are these ingredient swaps.
- Low-fat mayo has extra water: use less full fat mayo (as long as you're not worries about lightening things up).
- Onions add a wonderful flavor, but they also add water: green onions or chives are delicious and drier.
Stir through and adjust by adding more mayonnaise if you like your egg salad creamier. Why does my egg salad taste bland? The simple reason may be that it's not seasoned enough. Add a little more salt and pepper to taste.
How to make egg salad that isn t watery? ›
To prevent this, make sure to shock the eggs in an ice water bath as soon as you're done boiling them. Then, let them chill fully before you cut into them. And if you've already overcooked the eggs and added the mayo, there's still hope for salvaging the salad.
How can you tell if egg salad has gone bad? ›
Look for any changes in color, flavor, smell, and texture. Fresh egg salad should be creamy and smooth with a mild scent. Spoiled egg salad will smell sour or have a sulfurous odor like rotten eggs. The texture may be watery or slimy, which may be a sign of bacterial growth.
How long can you keep egg salad in the refrigerator before it goes bad? ›
According to the USDA, egg salad that's been stored properly in the fridge will be good for three to five days. To maximize that timeframe, use an airtight container and place the egg salad in the coldest part of the fridge promptly. Make sure your fridge is set to 40 F or lower.
Do you chop or mash eggs for egg salad? ›
Recipe developer and cookbook author Sheri Castle suggests that "for a salad with hearty texture that won't turn gummy or pasty, use your hands to crumble the eggs instead of chopping the whites and mashing the yolks with a fork." You will, of course, want to wait until the boiled eggs are cool enough to handle, but ...
Can I freeze homemade egg salad? ›
Can You Freeze Egg Salad? We don't recommend freezing egg salad, as it will change the texture and flavor. If you're OK with that, you can freeze it for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
How long to boil eggs? ›
Method
- 3 minutes for really soft boiled yolk and set white.
- 4 minutes for slightly set yolk and set white.
- 5 minutes for a medium cooked firmer yolk and white.
- 6 minutes for hard boiled with lightly soft yolk.
- 8 minutes for firmly hard boiled.
Eggs are a rich source of nutrients, making them a popular meal choice and ingredient. However, some people may experience nausea after eating eggs. If you feel nauseous after eating eggs, you may have an intolerance or allergy to egg yolks, egg whites, or both. Some people may experience nausea after eating eggs.
But first, cook the eggs just until yolks are firm yet still moist. Too long in hot water and eggs turn dry, pale and even develop a gray outer layer. In the world of sandwiches, there are two types of people: Those who love egg salad, and those who loathe it.
Why does my egg salad smell like sulfur? ›
Great egg salad starts with properly cooked eggs. You want the yolk to be firm, yellow, and moist with no greenish-gray tint and sulfur smell – a sign that the egg has spent too long in hot water and is most likely overcooked.
How do you fix runny egg mayo? ›
On the contrary, if your mayonnaise is too runny or doesn't set because you've added cold ingredients, simply add another egg yolk, strictly at room temperature.
Can you save egg salad? ›
I agree; 3 days at most. I usually make a half-recipe of egg salad (3 eggs) at a time, and use it up within 36 hours. I find the hard-boiled eggs themselves keep slightly better than they do in egg salad.
How do you thicken runny egg mayo? ›
If this happens to you, don't throw the mixture out quite yet -- there is a simple solution: egg yolk. Adding another raw egg yolk and whisking the mixture once again may be all you need to fix your homemade mayonnaise.
Can you eat egg salad after 5 days? ›
According to the USDA, you might have a little more time to finish egg salad than you may think. If the egg salad has been properly stored—in a sealed container in the refrigerator—it is safe to eat it within five days.
How long does homemade egg mayonnaise last in the fridge? ›
Once prepared, egg mayo will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's not suitable for freezing. You can also boil the eggs in advance – these will keep, unpeeled, in the fridge for up to 1 week.
How long can home made egg mayo last in the fridge? ›
After making homemade mayonnaise with pasteurized eggs or egg products, keep it refrigerated and use it within four days. Do not freeze mayonnaise. Emulsions such as mayonnaise will separate and appear curdled after freezing.
How long does raw egg mayonnaise last? ›
How Long Does Homemade Mayo Last? Made with raw eggs, homemade mayo lasts only one to two weeks. But thanks to its pasteurized eggs, my homemade mayonnaise can last an entire month in the fridge.
