EGG SALAD INSPIRED BY FUTURAMA

For the Sandwich

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and slice the tomato into equal pieces.

Place the tomato slices on the baking sheet, drizzle with vegetable oil, then broil until lightly charred.

Set aside for later use.

For the Egg Salad

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and lower eggs gently using a spider. Cook for exactly 12 minutes.

While eggs are boiling, prepare your ice bath.

Immediately transfer the boiled eggs to the ice bath after 12 minutes are up, and let them chill for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, peel the boiled eggs using food prep gloves or your preferred peeling method.

Roughly chop the peeled eggs and transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add celery, onion, salt, sugar, mayo, freshly ground pepper, mix until thoroughly incorporated. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

For the Assembly

Dollop your preferred amount of Egg Salad on a slice of whole wheat bread and top with one slice of charred tomato, and finish off with the second slice of whole wheat bread. This egg salad sandwich is best served freshly assembled.

For the Shokupan Dough (Milk Bread)

For the Tangzhong (Flour Paste)

In a small saucepot over medium heat, combine whole milk and bread flour. Whisk constantly for about 2 minutes or until a thick paste starts to form. It should be thick enough to clump between the wires of a whisk.

Alternatively, the milk and bread flour can be combined in a microwavable bowl and microwaved on high power for 1 minute and 20 seconds, stopping every 20 seconds to stir.

For the Bread

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the Tangzhong with bread flour, working the flour paste into the mixture with your hands, like you would incorporate butter in a pie crust recipe.

Break down the paste into small pieces until evenly distributed throughout the flour.

Then, add granulated sugar, kosher salt, instant yeast, room temperature whole milk, heavy cream, and honey. Toss the mixture until evenly distributed into crumbs.

Knead the dough using a stand mixer on medium speed for anywhere from 8-12 minutes.

While the dough is being kneaded, slowly add room temperature butter 1-2 pieces at a time, making sure they’re fully incorporated before adding more.

Keep kneading until the dough is soft, supple, and bouncy, and it aces the windowpane test. (When stretched, the dough must be thin enough to pass light through it. If succeeded with no tears, then your dough is properly kneaded.)

Turn the dough out onto a flat surface and roll it into a smooth, taut ball.

Place the dough ball into an oiled mixing bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Place in a proofing drawer at 85°F and 85% humidity for 45 minutes. (If you do not have a proofing drawer, you can use your oven on its lowest temperature with a bowl of water to encourage humidity).

After 45 minutes, the dough ball should have doubled in size, and only spring back a little when poked.

Divide the dough ball into 4, separate, equal sized pieces using a bench scraper and a kitchen scale.

Generously butter a loaf pan (I used a 2.2 lbs Pullman Loaf Pan), then shape and pull each of the dough pieces into separate taut, tight dough balls, and arrange them in the buttered pan side by side.

Butter the lid, cover, then place back in your proofing drawer or oven for about 30 minutes or until the dough reaches about the height of ~80% of the pan.

Once finished proofing, place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in an oven at 375°F for 45 minutes or until the loaf has filled the pan almost completely or until the thickest point registers at 250°F.

When the loaf is finished baking, remove it from the pan immediately onto a wire rack, and allow it to cool completely before slicing.

For the Homemade Yolk Mayo

In the cup of a blender or a tall, narrow plastic container, combine egg yolks, lemon juice, Dashi powder, sugar, salt, and rice vinegar. Blend using an immersion blender until completely smooth.

Keeping the immersion blender completely submerged, slowly pour vegetable oil down the sides of the cup so it settles on top of the egg mixture. Then, begin slowly blending, pulsing the immersion blender upwards, emulsifying the yolks into the oil.

If your emulsion breaks, renew it by cracking a whole egg into the mixture, letting it settle at the bottom, then beginning the emulsion process again.

Once the mixture has reached a thick and creamy texture, add a squirt of MCT oil and blend until incorporated making sure not to overblend.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Gourmet Egg Salad

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and lower eggs gently using a spider. Cook for exactly 12 minutes.

While eggs are boiling, prepare your ice bath.

Immediately transfer the boiled eggs to the ice bath after 12 minutes are up, and let them chill for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, peel the boiled eggs using food prep gloves or your preferred peeling method.

Transfer the whole peeled eggs to a mixing bowl and crush using your hands until just crumbled.

Add Homemade Yolk Mayo to crushed eggs and mix until combined.

Add your seasonings- freshly ground white pepper, kosher salt, sugar, and msg.

Then, add celery, chives, spicy pickle juice, freshly ground black pepper, spicy jarred Giardinera, and Togarashi. Adjust for seasoning as needed with salt, garlic powder, and pickle juice. Feel free to go off the rails to your preference.

For the Sandwich Assembly

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack, and slice the Kumato brown tomato into equal pieces.

Place the tomato slices on the baking sheet, sprinkle with granulated sugar, and brulée with a kitchen torch or broiler until bubbly and lightly brown.

Set aside for later use.

Butter 1 side of 2 slices of Shokupan, toast thoroughly and allow them to cool toasted side down on a wire rack.

Optionally soft-boil 2 medium eggs to place in the middle of the sandwich, but I chose the traditional route.

Layer egg salad and bruléed tomatoes between your toasted Shokupan slices.

Slice and serve fresh.