Egg Salad in Fried Bread

The Japanese tamago sando has become a viral food obsession, famous for its creamy egg filling and soft, pillowy milk bread. On the other side of Japan’s dessert scene, fruit sandwiches with whipped cream and soft milk bread have captured hearts online for their fluffy, decadent texture and photogenic appeal.

When I went to Japan in 2018, I couldn’t get enough egg salad sandwiches. Coming back home I spent months developing a recipe that could emulate what I had in Japan. The one part that I could never get right was the bread. This version combines the best of both worlds: the smooth, rich egg salad paired with the light, airy, and crispy fried milk bread inspired by Japan’s crème-filled fruit sandwiches.

Ingredients

4 large eggs

3–4 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie preferred)

1–2 tsp milk

½ tsp sugar

Salt, to taste

White pepper, to taste

4 slices Japanese milk bread (shokupan)

Chopped chives as garnish (optional)

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add in eggs and cook for 11 minutes. Transfer immediately to an ice bath and peel once cool.

2. In a bowl, mash the eggs. Add mayonnaise, milk, sugar, salt, and pepper to the eggs and mix until creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning, it should be lightly sweet and ultra creamy.

3. Fry the slices of bread at 325 degrees for about a minute. Flip the bread every 10 seconds until golden. Let stand vertically over paper towels to drain.

4. Cut each slice on the diagonal. Slice each half and gently fill the pocket with egg salad and serve.

When it comes to egg salad, simplicity is key