Konbi’s Egg Salad Sandwich

Name: Konbi’s Egg Salad Sandwich
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients: Ice cubes, for ice baths; 1 scallion, very thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon Kewpie mayonnaise, plus more for spreading on bread; 1 tablespoon crème fraîche; 1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar; 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, plus more for spreading on bread; Kosher salt; 12 large eggs; Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon; 8 slices milk bread, brioche or white sandwich bread

Recipe from Akira Akuto and Nick Montgomery

Adapted by Tejal Rao and Alexa Weibel

Updated July 5, 2024

Konbi’s Egg Salad Sandwich — Sang An for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

Total Time: 45 minutes
Rating: 4(2,279)
Comments: Read comments

This famous egg salad sandwich comes from Konbi, the tiny Los Angeles cafe run by the co-chefs Akira Akuto and Nick Montgomery. It’s not always the case that sensational, Instagram-famous dishes are carefully calibrated to taste so good, but this one breaks the mold: It’s as pretty as it is delicious. The egg salad is brightened with a touch of rice wine vinegar and mustard and bound with Kewpie mayonnaise. When making it at home, be careful not to undercook the eggs or you’ll cross that fine line between jammy and runny. At the heart of the sandwich is a perfect hard-boiled egg, and we suggest cooking a couple extra in case they break or you have trouble peeling them. Extra eggs, still warm, with a touch of salt and pepper, make for a great snack while you're assembling. —Tejal Rao, Alexa Weibel

Featured in: The Egg Salad Sandwich That Drew Eyes on Instagram

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Ingredients

Yield:4 sandwiches

Ice cubes, for ice baths
1scallion, very thinly sliced
1tablespoon Kewpie mayonnaise, plus more for spreading on bread
1tablespoon crème fraîche
1½teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1½teaspoons Dijon mustard, plus more for spreading on bread
Kosher salt
12large eggs
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
8slices milk bread, brioche or white sandwich bread

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Fill a large pot with water, leaving a few inches of space at the top, and bring to a boil over high. Prepare 2 ice baths in 2 medium bowls.
Step 2
Meanwhile, prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, stir together the scallion, mayonnaise, crème fraîche, vinegar and mustard. Season to taste with kosher salt.
Step 3
Once the water reaches a boil, gently drop in all 12 eggs and let the water come back to a boil. As soon as it does so, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the eggs at a gentle simmer, 8 minutes. Transfer 6 soft-boiled eggs to one ice bath. Continue to cook the remaining 6 eggs until hard-boiled, another 6 minutes, then transfer them to the second ice bath. Let sit, 5 minutes. Crack all cooked egg shells by gently hitting them all over with the back of a spoon.
Step 4
Working directly in the bowl, peel the hard-boiled eggs, keeping them partly immersed (the water helps loosen the shells). Transfer the hard-boiled eggs to a cutting board and chop them into ¼-inch pieces. Gently fold the chopped eggs into the egg salad dressing using a rubber spatula. Season to taste with kosher salt.
Step 5
Working directly in the second bowl, carefully peel the soft-boiled eggs. Transfer the peeled eggs to the cutting board and slice them in half lengthwise. The yolks should be creamy but not runny. If the yolks are runny, make another batch of soft-boiled eggs. (You’ll only need 1 soft-boiled egg per sandwich, so snack on any extra or imperfectly peeled pieces with some flaky sea salt, if desired.)
Step 6
Slather mustard on 1 side of 4 bread slices and mayonnaise on 1 side of the remaining 4 bread slices. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on the halved soft-boiled eggs. Arrange 2 halves down the center of each slice of mustard-slathered bread, laying them yolk side down, and positioning them so the narrower tips point outward toward the crust of the bread and the wider, rounder portions (with the yolks) are in the middle of the bread. Place both halves close enough so that they touch in the center of the bread.
Step 7
Divide the egg salad among the sandwiches, gently plopping ½-cup scoops of egg salad on top of each pair of soft-boiled eggs on each of the 4 bread slices. Using an offset spatula, spread the egg salad evenly toward the crusts in all directions until bread is covered.
Step 8
Top with the remaining slices of bread, mayonnaise side down. Using a serrated knife, carefully slice the crusts off on the left and the right sides of each sandwich. (These should be the 2 sides that are parallel to the soft-boiled eggs.)
Step 9
Rotate each sandwich 90 degrees and cut each sandwich into thirds, cutting parallel to the crust sides of the sandwiches, creating a beautiful exposed cross section. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Ratings

4 out of 5

2,279 user ratings

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Comments

drbobmv6 years ago

If there was ever a recipe that begs for a video demonstration of the technique required to make this sandwich, this would be it.

Kathryn6 years ago

While cutting off the crusts may give a certain look to this sandwich, I would hope that no one would actually throw away the crusts. It's always amazing to see how many such recipes call for discarding certain elements, and I always cringe at the thought of how many people actually throw such parts away in the trash! At the very least, reserve the crusts for breadcrumbs. Better yet, don't remove them in the first place!

Steven6 years ago

I have peeled more hard-boiled eggs than I can remember. The absolutely best way to ensure easy peeling is to steam the eggs. Ten minutes after the water has begun to boil, put the eggs into a basket steamer set above the water. At ten minutes, move directly to an ice bath. I was amused to see the recipe suggests hitting the egg all over with a spoon, presumably before bowing to it. Just roll it on the counter or inside the sink with gentle pressure and start peeling at the larger end.

Linda4 months ago

I am lactose intolerant and omitted the créme Fraîche. The sandwich was still delicious. This is a special preparation that would be wonderful for an afternoon tea or brunch. For a casual everyday sandwich, the recipe is great without the additional artistic touch in the middle. It is an elevated version of those egg salad sandwiches you get all over Japan. Even the ones from Japanese 7-11s are a tasty snack.

AWilsher5 months ago

"At an altitude of 6,000 feet, an "8-minute egg" would likely need to be boiled for around 10-12 minutes to achieve the same doneness as a standard 8-minute egg at sea level, as higher altitudes require longer cooking times due to the lower boiling point of water at such elevations; always check the eggs for desired doneness by peeling and inspecting the yolk consistency. Key points to remember: Lower boiling point: Water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes, meaning eggs take longe

Bevan Davies1 year ago

I've made this recipe often, at home, and for guests. I cut the sandwiches in half, which shows two egg yolks, not just one. Crème fraîche is sometimes hard to find, but you can use yogurt or even heavy cream as a substitute. And, I double the number of scallions to make the egg salad nice and crunchy.

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