Make the Best Deviled Eggs

Because deviled eggs should be a little bit extra

Deviled eggs occupy an interesting space in the food world. When they are cooked perfectly and filled with creamy, inspired flavors, deviled eggs are one of the most interesting ways to enjoy eggs. Too often, though, deviled eggs are a questionable mash-up of bland, over-cooked yolks, with too much mayonnaise, and too much mustard, before being “fancied up” with too much pickle relish. The difficult thing is that you usually can’t tell which camp any given deviled egg is in until you’ve tasted it. And then it’s too late.

In the interest of improving deviled eggs for egg lovers everywhere, I’d like to boldly offer a few suggestions for better deviled eggs.

Consider how you will be cooking the eggs

The best deviled eggs are made with perfectly cooked, easy-to-peel eggs, with firm whites and soft, creamy yolks. Eggs are undercooked when the yolks are runny and the whites haven’t set up and overcooked when the tell-tale ring of green sulfur appears around the yolk.

To achieve well-cooked eggs, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Place your eggs in a steamer basket. Lower the basket into the boiling water, then reduce the heat slightly to a soft boil. Cook your eggs for 11 minutes, then remove the steamer basket from the boiling water and set the eggs in a bowl of ice water to cool for at least 10 minutes. Gently peel the eggs under cool running water.

Using the steamer basket prevents the eggs from cracking as they drop into the pan. If you don’t have one, use a slotted spoon to gently submerge and remove the eggs from the water.

Get creative with the filling

Deviled eggs are a great opportunity to try something interesting. A blank canvas for your culinary creativity. You need a creamy base to moisten the yolks, hence the mayo or Greek yogurt, but beyond that, the sky is the limit. Add fresh or dried herbs, some heat in the form of chile powder, cayenne, or paprika, a bit of Dijon mustard for tang, salt, and pepper, then go wild. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Interesting flavor enhancers:

• Bread crumbs
• Chile oil
• Chile flakes
• Lemon or lime juice
• Sesame seeds
• Worcestershire sauce
• Chili crunch
• Roasted garlic
• Olive oil
• White wine, apple cider, or balsamic vinegar
• Butter
• Old Bay seasoning
• Pickled jalapenos
• Shrimps
• Cheese - cheddar, parmesan, blue, or cream cheese
• Tapenade
• Roasted red peppers, drained and well dried

Here are a few fun flavor combos to try:

• Avocado chunks, cilantro, chili flakes, lime juice
• Grilled egg whites filled with adobo and smoked paprika
• Chile powder, sour cream, and cheddar cheese
• Cherry tomatoes, pesto, and garlic
• Blue cheese, hot sauce, and celery
• Breakfast - cream cheese, mayo, salt and pepper, everything bagel seasoning
• Street corn - roasted and cut off of the cob, cayenne pepper and parmesan cheese
• Dijon mustard, Greek yogurt, chili crisp and lime juice deviled eggs

A couple of other thoughts

Fill your deviled eggs with a piping bag and a star tip to add some visual appeal.

Top each egg with a dusting of spice powder, sesame seeds, toasted bread crumbs, or crunchy sea salt

Garnish each egg with a bit of fresh parsley, sage, or dill

Play with different ways of cutting your eggs - horizontal, vertical, or cut both ends and make egg cups

Eggs are slippery! Set each egg in a small dollop of the filling to hold it in place

Deviled eggs taste the best at room temperature, but keep them in the fridge until an hour before you serve them.

With love and deviled eggs ~

Chelly

​TheGoodFoodProject.co​

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