Deviled Eggs '14

It is that time again to revisit deviled eggs! I know some of you may be tired of them but I found an article about deviled eggs in every April issue of my cooking magazines. Guess some people are still enthused about deviled eggs!

I am doing coffee hour for the next two weeks and everyone asks for deviled eggs. I decided to kick them up a bit and really go all out for decorating them. They are always the first thing to go, eaten by young and old alike.

Good stuffed eggs are built on good technique. For the best hard cooked eggs, simmer them 10 minutes, cool slightly under tap water; then get cracking. Don’t overcook the eggs. The whites should still have a little wiggle to them. For creamier yolks, grate them on a box grater. (This seems a little much but to each his own.) One chef in Atlanta has hollowed out the center of the egg and stuffed them with the deviled egg. You can see this in the April issue of ‘Garden and Gun.’ I am not going that far but it looked really fancy!

The possibilities are endless for creative stuffed eggs. Learn the basic recipe and then break off with your own garnishes. Deviled eggs are like good manners. They never go out of style.

Classic Deviled Eggs

12 hard cooked eggs, peeled

½ cup mayonnaise

1 ½ tsp. white wine vinegar

1 ½ tsp. Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Dash of hot sauce (optional)

Garnish paprika

Slice eggs in half lengthwise, and carefully remove yolks, keeping egg whites intact.

Grate egg yolks using small holes of a box grater. Mash together yolks, mayonnaise, and next 3 ingredients. Add more salt or hot sauce, if desired.

Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into egg whites.

Makes 2 dozen.

Now we can get to the creative part. ‘The Food Network Magazine’ for April had 50 different ways to make deviled eggs. Now I will not give you all 50 but selected some that might just make things more interesting.

Cajun: Sauté ¼ cup each finely chopped Andouille sausage and green pepper in vegetable oil with 1 teaspoon oil with 1 teaspoon each Cajun seasoning and cayenne. Let cool; mash with the yolks. Spoon into the egg whites; sprinkle with more cayenne.

Curry: Mash the yolks with ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro and 1 teaspoon each, curry powder and lime juice. Spoon into the egg whites; top with mango chutney and more chopped cilantro.

Wasabi: Mash the yolks with ½ cup mayonnaise and 4 teaspoons wasabi paste. Spoon into the egg whites: top with chopped pickled ginger and more wasabi paste.

Toasted sesame: Mash the yolks with ½ cup mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil. Season with salt. Spoon into the egg whites; top with toasted sesame seeds.

California Roll: Mash the yolks with ½ cup each mayonnaise and finely diced peeled cucumber, and 1 teaspoon each soy sauce, rice vinegar and wasabi paste. Spoon into the egg whites; top with small cubes of avocado, crabmeat and nori (dried seaweed) flakes.

Cucumber-Dill: Mash the yolks with ¼ cup each mayonnaise and sour cream and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in ½  cup finely chopped cucumber and 2 tablespoons chopped dill. Spoon into the egg whites; top with dill sprigs.

Pimento Cheese: Mash the yolks with ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon relish and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Add ½ cup shredded cheese and ½ cup chopped pimientos. Spoon into the egg whites; top with chopped chives.

Green and Ham: Puree the yolks with 1/3 cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup each chopped parsley and scallions, and 2 tablespoons capers in a food processor. Spoon into the egg whites; top with strips of deli-sliced ham.

Sausage-Cheddar: Mash the yolks with ½ cup mayonnaise and shredded cheddar. Season with salt and hot sauce. Spoon into the egg whites; top with browned crumbled sausage and chives.

My husband helped me decorate my eggs. He cut some edible flowers and we used the petals for color. We have chives, tarragon, cilantro, and parsley in the garden so they were used also. Use your imagination and see how pretty you can make those eggs!