The sweetness and delicate texture of brioche bread is the perfect foil for an egg mayo toasted sandwich. It’s buttered on both sides and griddled in the toasted sarnie tradition but the softness of the dough means it only needs a quick burst of heat to etch the surface. The mayo is seasoned with Dijon mustard, lemon, sea salt and freshly grated black pepper then folded with tiny dice of cornichons (small pickled cucumber more usually served with pate or terrine). I added finely chopped flat leaf parsley to give a hint of grassy green but chives would be good too.
Makes 4 rounds, 8 sandwiches
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
2 eggs
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
15g (about 6) cornichon
few leaves of flat leaf parsley
75g butter
8 slices brioche loaf
Place the eggs in a small pan of cold water, bring to boil and boil for 9 minutes. Drain, crack all over and peel immersed in water. Meanwhile, place mayo, mustard, lemon juice and generous seasoning Maldon sea salt flakes (soft) and freshly grated black pepper in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix. Trim the ends of the cornichons, quarter lengthways and slice across to make tiny scraps. Finely chop the parsley leaves. Stir cornichon scraps and parsley through the mayo mix. Pat the eggs dry, quarter lengthways and then slice and chop, continuing until the white is in small pieces but will still give texture. Stir the egg into the mayo. The mix is ready for use but can be kept on hold, covered, in the fridge. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. As you prepare each sandwich, use a pastry brush to paint one side of the bread with melted butter. Place buttered-side down on a hot griddle pan – griddle placed over a medium-heat flame until very hot. Paint the exposed surface with melted butter and use a palette knife to deftly flip to the other side – don’t leave it more than about 30 seconds; you want it just etched with scorch marks. Rest on kitchen paper while you continue toasting. Move 4 slices to a chopping board, cover with egg mayo going right up to the edge. Position second slice of toast and use a sharp, thin-bladed knife to slice off all but the heart shaped top crust (chefs perks). Slice down the slice between the curves of the heart and serve.