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06/18/2002 Archived Entry: "Deviled Eggs"

Here’s another question from my email bag:

Q. If I soak hard boiled eggs in beet juice, will that change the texture? I'm looking to make deviled eggs and I thought they would look pretty if I soaked them in beet juice first. And while your at it, have you got a good recipe for deviled eggs?

A. You can certainly “dye” eggs with beet juice. Beet juice will stain anything. But I think the eggs would be pretty ugly with the yellow stuffed backed in, as in deviled eggs. I’d find it creepy myself, and since I have never done it myself, I can’t tell you what exactly to do. As for a deviled egg recipes, I offer this classic recipe from Marie Simmons’ The Good Egg.

Old-Fashioned Deviled Eggs
Makes 8 egg halves

4 large eggs, hard-cooked (see my diary item on perfect hard-cooked eggs), peeled and halved lengthwise
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Carefully remove the yolks from the whites. Place the whites cut side up on a plate.

With the back of a spoon, press the yolks through a sieve into a small bowl, or mash them in the bowl with a fork until blended.

Add the mayonnaise and mustard and mash with a fork until blended. Add hot pepper sauce, 2 to 3 dashes at a time until the heat is the level you like. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy, then add salt to taste and a grinding of pepper.

Using a teaspoon, carefully stuff the whites with the yolk mixture, mounding the tops. Garnish the stuffed eggs generously with chives. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Another fabulous recipe for deviled eggs – not at all the classic -- can be found in The Best American Recipes 1999 compiled by Fran McCullough and Suzanne Hamlin.

Parsi Devilled Eggs
Makes 12 egg halves

6 large eggs, hard-cooked
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Shell the eggs, cut them lengthwise in half, and put the egg yolks in a small bowl. Set the egg whites aside.

Add all of the remaining ingredients except the mayonnaise to the yolks, mashing well with a fork. Be sure the honey is well distributed. Stir in the mayonnaise and taste for lime and salt.

Spoon the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites and let sit for 2 hours or overnight, in the refrigerator Bring to room temperature before serving.