Egg Salad for the Gourmand

One word of caution about this recipe:

you'll be hard-pressed to go back to the same old Egg Salad recipe (thought I do whip that up for a midnight snack). 

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 large eggs, hard-boiled
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cornichons (we use regular gherkins mostly)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped brine-packed capers
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chervil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Peel the eggs, halve, and separate the whites from the yolks.
2. Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and mash until they resemble cornmeal (some pea-size pieces will remain). Add the mustard and continue mashing until it is well incorporated.
3. Add the oil to the yolks, pouring in a thin, steady stream while constantly whisking to form a paste. Stir in the vinegar, salt, and pepper.
4. Finely chop the egg whites and add them to the yolk paste. Add the remaining ingredients and fold everything together until evenly combined. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

Note: Cornichons are pickled gherkin cucumbers. In France, these tart pickles are classically served with pâtés and smoked meats. In other countries, they are apparently served with small, fried strips of fish.