A British classic: soft white bread, egg mayonnaise, and a thick layer of peppery garden cress microgreens. How to boil eggs without the gray ring.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 pc - eggs
- 40 g - mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp - Dijon mustard
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 15 g - soft butter
- 4 slices - white sandwich bread
- 20 g - garden cress microgreens
STEPS
- Lower the eggs into boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Move them to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes, then peel.
- Chop the eggs with a knife into 1/4 in (5 mm) pieces. Mix with the mayonnaise and mustard and season with salt and pepper.
- Snip the cress with scissors above the growing medium, rinse, and pat dry on a towel.
- Spread the bread thinly with soft butter. Divide the egg filling between two slices, top with a thick layer of cress, and cover with the remaining slices.
- Press down lightly, trim off the crusts, and cut each sandwich diagonally into two triangles.
Cress in an Egg Sandwich
Egg and cress is a British classic: egg mayonnaise and a layer of cress between slices of soft white bread. In Britain cress is sold live, in small punnets, for exactly this sandwich. Garden cress microgreens bring a peppery bite that recalls mustard or horseradish without the burn, and they freshen up the rich egg filling.
The cress goes in as its own thick layer on top of the filling, so it stays crisp to the last bite.
About the Ingredients
Garden cress microgreens: 20 g for two sandwiches. Snip them with scissors above the growing medium right before you make the sandwiches.
Eggs: four for two sandwiches. The filling should be generous, about a finger thick.
Mayonnaise: swap part of it for Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangier filling.
Bread: soft white sandwich bread. Rye or whole wheat overpowers the egg and cress.
Butter, spread thin, seals the bread against the moisture of the filling so it doesn’t go soggy.
Technique: Eggs Without the Gray Ring
The greenish-gray ring around the yolk shows up when eggs are overcooked. Lower the eggs into boiling water, cook for exactly 10 minutes, and move them straight into a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. The cold water stops the cooking, the yolks stay bright yellow, and the shells come off more easily.
Variations
- Curried: 1/2 tsp curry powder in the filling.
- With bacon: two slices of crisp bacon per sandwich.
- With avocado: replace half the eggs with mashed avocado and lemon juice.
- Spicier: mustard or radish microgreens instead of cress.
Serving and Storage
Good with tea, for breakfast, or packed for lunch. Assembled and wrapped in plastic, they hold in the fridge for up to 4 hours. The egg filling on its own keeps for up to 2 days; add the cress when you assemble. Whether microgreens need washing is covered in our wiki: should you wash microgreens.
Another breakfast with eggs and microgreens: avocado toast with egg and microgreens.
CHEF'S TIPS
The butter should be soft, at room temperature: cold butter tears thin sandwich bread.
Don't mash the filling smooth: chunks of egg make a juicier sandwich.
