Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches
J. Kenji López-Alt
Chef & Food Writer
Back in early March, when the coronavirus pandemic was just hitting the U.S., Wursthall was still operating as a full-service restaurant, albeit with some safety measures put in place. Tables were spaced so that parties did not have to sit closer than 6 feet apart, we stocked up on sanitizing solution and sanitized all surfaces between seatings. We switched to single-use menus and removed water bottles and condiments from the tabletops. Though there were only a few cases of COVID-19 reported in the U.S. at the time, it seemed like Santa Clara county—right next door to us here in San Mateo—was potentially ground zero for U.S. cases, which put us on high alert.
Over the course of early March, my partner, my managers, and I held increasingly frequent meetings – sometimes three times a day – to gauge the comfort level of our staff and customers and have a plan in place for if and when the pandemic really hit. By the end of that first week we decided to close our doors for sit-down service. The very next day San Mateo County passed a shelter-in-place order.
My first instinct was to focus on things I know I can do well: cook and organize. I had a walk-in full of food that we no longer had customers to serve to, but I knew that hospitals and community centers would be looking for food in the coming days. That very first night, I headed into the restaurant and converted 400 portions of deviled eggs into 140 deviled egg salad sandwiches. I them packed into boxes with a grilled broccoli salad. I packed those boxes before I even knew who would be getting them. It was the magic of social media that helped me find a home for them, and the next day I delivered them to the emergency room staff at San Francisco General Hospital.
It’s now three months later and we just served our 6,000th free meal. Cooking for the community has not only allowed us to keep some of our key staff members employed while the restaurant was shut down, it’s also shown us how grateful a community can be when you reach out to help them.
You can always see a smile, even behind a face mask.
Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches
Makes 3 Sandwiches
6 eggs
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Large pinch Aleppo pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 small shallot, finely minced
6 slices of good quality sandwich bread
Thinly sliced radishes
Watercress
- Fill a small saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Gently place the eggs in the shallow water using a spoon. Cover and cook for exactly 11 1/2 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath and let chill for five minutes. Peel under cool running water.
- Combine eggs, vinegar, mustard, olive oil, a large pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, Aleppo pepper, dill, and shallot in a bowl. Mix with your hands, squeezing the eggs through your fingers to break them up into small pieces. Season to taste with more salt, pepper, and chili as desired.
- Assemble sandwiches with deviled eggs salad, sliced radish, and watercress. Cut into triangles and serve.