Lisa's Recipe Corner
Happy Labor Day today and cheers to all those celebrating with cook-outs and BBQs. I'm a true sucker for a perfect deviled egg and was flattered by a friend who holds the bar high for these appetizers, so I thought I would share the recipe.
For the basic deviled egg, I use 4 ingredients.....eggs, mayonnaise, French Dijon mustard, and celery salt. I love the celery salt because it gives that grassy and spicy pop to the dish. Lightly sprinkled on top of the finished deviled eggs, it also looks beautiful (like paprika, but with a more complex flavor- I don't personally care for paprika...).
Cover the eggs with 2-3 inches of cold water in a pot and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat and place the lid on the pot. Let them sit for 25 minutes. Next, drain the water and cool them down with cold water to stop them from cooking. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes, then peel them.
For this recipe, I boiled 6 eggs (which will yield 12 deviled eggs). Slice them in half (longways) carefully and gently remove the cooked yolks and place in a separate bowl. Using a fork, mash all of the yolks into a powder. This is the tricky part..... I don't really use measurements here. Add mayonnaise (approximately 2-3 tablespoons for 6 cooked egg yolks) and whip until light and creamy. Taste it along the way to make sure you like the texture and taste. I then add a dollop of the Dijon mustard and a sprinkle of celery salt (Careful with the celery salt, it is very strong and can overpower the filling with salt if too much is used. Better to add a little at a time and taste it along the way to make sure it's to your liking.
Finally, I whip the mixture together and scoop it into the corner of a small ziplock bag. Cut the corner of the bag to use it for piping the filling decoratively into the egg white cups that have been placed onto a decorative dish.
If you prefer to eat them plain.... just pipe the filling and top with a sprinkle of the celery salt. OR.... you can elevate them to an entirely different level. Be creative. For the pictures shown, I made 2 variations. The first, I cooked bacon until extra crispy, then crumbled it. I placed a dollop of crème fraiche on top of the basic deviled egg, then sprinkled them with bacon crumbles. For the second, and to further satisfy my salt cravings, I topped them with crème fraiche and caviar with a tiny sprig of fresh dill. But the sky's the limit here, use your imagination. Anything from crushed macadamia nuts or pistachios to crab meat and Old Bay seasoning can turn these simple appetizers into a personal masterpiece.
Mangia!!!
Xoxo -Lisa.