Heaven forbid you should throw a party and not serve deviled eggs.
Popular all year long, whether at summer barbecues and family reunions or at Thanksgiving gatherings and New Year’s Eve bashes, it seems that these devilishly delicious appetizers are always the first thing to disappear.
Boy, would you have egg on your face if they weren’t laid out on the table, ready for guests to devour.
A deviled food is one that is spicy, including eggs made with hot ingredients such as pepper, horseradish, and mustard. Variations have been popular since the days of the Roman empire, “where eggs were boiled, seasoned with spicy sauces and then typically served at the beginning of a meal,” says Laura Schumm in an essay for the History Channel’s website, history.com.
“Some time in the 13th century, stuffed eggs began to appear in Andalusia,” she says, and then “made their way across much of Europe.” The familiar-to-us stuffed eggs date to the middle of the 19th century in the United States.
While deviled eggs are easy to make — mash ’n’ mix, essentially — many people have a devil of a time peeling the eggs that get filled. There are as many supposedly, theoretically, and hypothetically guaranteed methods as there are eggs in a carton ... one of those bulk-sized containers, that is, that hold five dozen eggs at once. And, unfortunately for those seeking clarity, they often conflict with each other.
J. Kenji López-Alt, author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science and the managing culinary director of the food blog Serious Eats (seriouseats.com), says that he has boiled thousands of eggs under a variety of conditions and that “there is no 100 percent fool-proof method” for perfectly peeled eggs.
He calls for using older eggs, “with the closest expiration date,” as opposed to very fresh ones; the membranes under the shells separate better from the whites after some time has passed. He then says to drop the eggs into boiling water and simmer them for a strict 11 minutes before shocking the eggs in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Refrigerating the cooked eggs overnight can reduce the number of poorly peeled eggs by “50 percent compared to those peeled after a few minutes of shocking (or even worse, straight out of the pot),” says Mr. López-Alt.
This expert advice sounds great, right?
Except that it contrasts with that from the staff at Cook’s Illustrated, a magazine published by America’s Test Kitchen, which is noted for its thorough testing of recipes. In their new book Kitchen Hacks: How Clever Cooks Get Things Done, the editors write: “After sitting in a cold refrigerator for a day or two, eggs are even harder to peel.”
So what can you do to fix this, if you tried Mr. López-Alt’s procedure and found that it didn’t work for you? “Submerge the hard-cooked eggs in hot water for one minute,” the book’s authors suggest, and then transfer the eggs to “ice water for one minute for easy peeling.”
The bottom line? If you have a tried-and-true way to prepare hard-boiled eggs when making deviled eggs, more power to you. If you don’t, always remember that you can buy bags of pre-cooked, pre-peeled eggs at the grocery store.
Now, once you’ve got your beautifully cooked and peeled eggs (by whichever method is the least stressful for you), the devil is in the details. Use the best quality ingredients you can afford when preparing the fillings, as there are so few in these recipes that each will shine.
Another divine attribute of these treats (besides the taste, of course) is that you don’t have to rush around like the devil preparing them at the last minute.
Make the deviled eggs, plate them, cover them with plastic wrap, then add the garnishes before serving. Extra time before your big event is heaven sent, after all.
You wouldn’t want your guests to think you’re a bad egg or, worse, a rotten one. So be the host or hostess with the most-est, as they say, and be sure to prepare a platter of perpetually popular deviled eggs for your next party.
RECIPES
Sesame Wasabi Deviled Eggs
These Asian-inspired deviled eggs taste heavenly.
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons wasabi powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 Japanese or standard mayonnaise
Chili garlic sauce, for garnish
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Cut the eggs into halves, then remove the yolks and place them into a medium mixing bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork. Combine soy sauce, wasabi, ginger, salt and pepper; stir in mayonnaise, then stir this into the yolks until smooth.
Divide the yolk mixture among the egg whites. Place a dollop of chili garlic sauce onto each egg and garnish with a sprinkling of the sesame seeds.
Yield: 24 deviled eggs.
Source: Mary Bilyeu.
Green Eggs and Ham Deviled Eggs
Dr. Seuss would be in hog heaven with these eggs that feature trendy avocado.
1/3 cup finely diced ham
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1 ripe avocado
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
Scant 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
Sauté ham in a small skillet until golden and slightly crisped.
Slice eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolks; mash yolks. Mash avocado, onion, lemon juice, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper into yolks, then stir in mayonnaise and 1/4 cup of the ham. Divide among the egg whites.
Garnish eggs with the remaining ham.
Yield: 24 deviled eggs.
Source: Adapted from cookinglight.com.
Beet-Dyed Deviled Eggs
This is a colorful variation on the theme. The filling ingredients are a classic match made in heaven.
1 large beet, peeled and cubed
Water
1 cup white vinegar
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 hamburger dill pickle slices, cut into quarters
In a medium saucepan, combine beet, 2 cups water, and vinegar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Do not drain.
Strain beets from liquid, reserving the liquid and discarding the beets. Place eggs into beet liquid and add water to just cover; let stand 15 minutes. Remove eggs and discard liquid; pat eggs dry. Slice eggs in half and place yolks into a small mixing bowl.
Mash yolks with mayonnaise, relish, mustard, salt, and pepper. Pipe or scoop yolk mixture back into egg white halves. Garnish with a piece of dill pickle.
Yield: 24 deviled eggs.
Source: Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.
Smoky Pimiento Cheese Deviled Eggs
You’ll be in seventh heaven when you indulge in these sinfully rich treats.
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
3/4 cup freshly grated smoked Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped jarred roasted red bell pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 spiced pecans, for garnish (see recipe below)
Cut eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks. Reserve 6 yolks for another use.
Mash remaining 6 yolks with mayonnaise using a fork. Stir in cheese, red pepper, mustard, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into egg whites. Top each egg with a spiced pecan.
Yield: 24 deviled eggs.
Source: Adapted from southernliving.com.
Spiced Pecans
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Generous pinch of garlic powder
Generous pinch of all-purpose herb seasoning
Generous pinch of kosher salt
Generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper
24 pecan halves
Combine the butter, garlic powder, seasoning, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small mixing bowl; stir in the pecans, then lay them out on the tray of a toaster oven. Bake for 10 minutes at 325F, stir, then let cool.
Yield: 24 pecans.
Source: Mary Bilyeu.
First Published November 3, 2015, 5:00 a.m.
