I learned to eat them from a friend who grew up in NC and always brought them to potlucks. BUT she used her Spanish dad’s family recipe, not a southern one, lol.
This has also helped my boiled egg game, as I’ve had to learn the correct way to do it for my preferred texture of the egg white.
Since I’ve been experimenting with them, I fall back on a wasabi version and a smoked paprika one.
This week I tried chipotle and harissa variations, and a pickled recipe… nope, not doing that last one again; ruined the texture of the egg white for me.
I usually make only a few eggs (for myself), so I don’t pipe the yolk mixture - it’s too little. Wish it could be prettier, but it tastes good, so oh well.
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Harissa - got a bit runny because of the harissa… added some cumin, aleppo pepper, and urfa pepper to finish. Tasted good despite the unfortunate appearance.
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Chipotle plus pickled - the filling was delicious, but the texture of the egg white from a day of pickling was not my thing. Pickled onions were lovely.
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meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
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I prefer a pretty simple deviled egg. I get asked to make them frequently. I think the most important thing is to gently break up the hot yolk with a fork, keeping it light and fluffy. Then add the mustard while the yolks are still warm. Both of these tips seem to make a big difference in the end result. Simple dishes need good ingredients. When there are few components the quality or lack of really shows.
Metal cookie spring loaded scooper to fill the steamed whites with the yolk mixture.
I steam basket a dozen at a time. Ice water bath to stop cooking, peel, prepare, fill.
My fav filling lately is half yolk half avocado and topped w/ a drizzle of hot sauce.
canned Baby shrimp, scallion, mayo and yolk mixture close second.
I’ve read about avocado but haven’t tried it. Does the filling taste of avocado? I do like the yolk-y flavor… not that I don’t like avocado, just curious.
You can try a creamy salad dressing.of your choice in place of some or all of the mayo. Also, peruse the jarred offerings in the supermarket baby foods aisle. You may be inspired to add pureed carrots, for example.
My favorite is to add curry powder or vadouvan.
Steaming the eggs is for sure the best route to eggs that peel easily - even if very fresh.
If you need to transport them, halve crosswise, so you can use the egg carton as a container.
Jacques Pepin’s Les Oeufs Jeannette (googlable recipe) is a marvelous brunch dish of sauteed devilled eggs over bitter greens, with a dressing incorporating yolks.
Not unlike mashed potatoes,IMO absolutely anything goes as long as the combination appeals to you. If using mayo, homemade is a definite must though. The only way to screw up a deviled egg is to mess with texture. Rooster, the mention of dill, baby shrimp and egg transported me to Denmark, where my favorite open faced sandwich was composed of those ingredients, except the shrimp were fresh, I’d eat that daily. I like everything from a classic southern deviled egg to those with truffle oil or bonito flakes and everything in between… truth be told I’m partial to soft boiled halved and toped with a dollop of something or other
@Saregama, what is your egg cooking method and desired texture?
Every time I think I’ve found the ideal way to cook eggs for deviled eggs, it eventually fails me. But I have had many successes with Kenji’s steaming, and lots of folks swear by InstantPots.
I boil my eggs by putting them into a cold pot of water, bring to a boil and turn off and let stand in the pot for 9 minutes. I then dump in ice cubes and chill them right down so they are easy to peel.
I will boil a dozen eggs. 6 of them are cut in half and the yolk is not removed. 6 of the eggs are cut in half and the yolk is removed. The whites are set aside for use in a different dish . The six yolks are prepared much as those noted above. After the yolk filling is prepared the cut eggs are then topped with the filling, so you have half a complete egg, topped with some more prepped yolk topping. (Double your egg pleasure)
Some of the filings I like to add mayo and some curry powder. I also will top with capers, smoked salmon, pieces of anchovies, chopped red onion or minced shallots.
The egg whites are usually given to my BIL who lives next to us, or I chop them and make a ham or smoked fish salad with them.
Here are some that I tried to be creative with. They tasted fine but I failed in appearance . Cherry tomato topped, mushroom topped and a chive attempt to make it look like a person.
I like a bit of Thai curry pastes sometimes - usually massaman. Chopped pickles or capers (not with curry paste, though). I absolutely use Best Foods, not homemade mayo - that’s would be wasted in a devilled egg I think. I’ve tried MSG and siracha and think they are both mistakes in this context.
As far as piping vs scoop - if you have a plastic bag you would throw out anyway (like grocery store produce bags), it makes a fine disposable piping bag with no cleanup required. You get the last bit of filling even if only making a few eggs.
I doubt making homemade mayo for deviled eggs is worth the trouble, but if you have some around, why not. Dukes is good and easy to get for me in NC. But Blue Plate, the mayonnaise of New Orleans, is a step up because it is made with egg yolks, no whites. IIRC Aldi’s store brand mayo is also made with, if not exclusively egg yolks, at least a higher proportion of yolks. I use it and it can’t be beat, certainly for the price.