Egg Salad Reaches Peak Flavor When You Add 1.5 Tablespoons Of This Ingredient (Thanks, Ina Garten)

Despite the fact that she almost left her TV career behind, Ina Garten has a way of reaching out to her audience and inviting them to bring small, luxurious touches into their everyday cooking. She's got a secret ingredient for every dish, it seems, and while these are often low-key and no-fuss, sometimes they can be indulgent and more high-end. Case in point? Over on Instagram, the Barefoot Contessa shared her recipe for egg salad, but with an indulgent twist. You see, she adds 1½ tablespoons of white truffle butter to the mix, taking the dish from ho-hum to high-class and helping it reach peak flavor.

The brand Garten uses is Urbani, and it is indeed an indulgence — $16 for a 3-ounce tub (and $74 for a pound). But if you can swing the price, it will certainly elevate your everyday egg salad by adding a rich depth of flavor that is at once earthy and lightly garlicky, while lending a creamy, silky texture to the salad.

Garten manages to elevate her meal to the height of elegance by serving it on focaccia instead of regular sandwich bread. You can further channel your inner Ina by adding luxurious touches to this simple preparation, like a bit of truffle oil. White or black varieties would work with the delicate egg flavors, though the latter generally has an earthier, more robust profile than its white counterpart.

Another way to infuse your egg salad with the flavor and aroma of truffles is to use them in mayo form. While you can definitely buy truffle mayonnaise ready-made from any number of gourmet shops (both brick-and-mortar and online), you could also try your hand at making it yourself using truffle oil. All you need is a food processor or immersion blender, and you can adjust everything as you go so that your upgraded, bougie mayo suits your personal taste.

Finally, while it's more of a garnish, if you're going to be eating your egg salad on crackers or crostini, you might consider topping each bite with a bit of caviar. The mild brininess of this most famous of all luxury foods pairs well with the richness of egg salad, cutting through the thick mayo and adding a pop of oceanic flavor. For the ultimate in decadence, you might try topping a truffle-infused egg salad with caviar, combining the two elements.