Brooke Courtney
I didn't always like deviled eggs. But at some point last year I gave them a try, under the reasoning that "Hey. If I can birth a child, I should be able to eat a hardboiled egg." The "if I can birth a child" path of reasoning has actually gotten me to try a lot of things in the last year - and not just food! So, way to go June!
I am not a picky eater by any means. But something about the assumed texture of a deviled egg always weirded me out. Anyway, fast forward to today and I make deviled eggs at least once a month. Every week I get a fresh dozen of eggs from my Mom's chickens and devil-em-up!
EGG PEELING TIP: Use OLD eggs. I never use eggs that are less than a week old. They'll be impossible to peel if you just got them. So plan ahead with your purchases and give them a week or two in the fridge before you boil them. You'll thank yourself!
Today I'm sharing three different deviled recipes with you - the classic way my Grandma made them, the way I make them with a little hot sauce, and a healthier option with avocados.. and bacon. So, scratch that healthier idea.
I hope you'll give one, if not all, of these a try!
CLASSIC EGGS: Like my Grandma made them.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 Hard boiled eggs
- 1/4 c. mayo
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Cracked pepper to taste
- Paprika for garnish
- Flowers for garnish ( *Do not eat the flowers unless you know they're edible!)
PICNIC EGGS: Like I make them, with little hot sauce.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 Hard boiled eggs
- 1/4 c. mayo
- 1-2 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Dash of hot sauce (Texas Pete's if you got it!)
- Salt + Pepper to taste
AVOCADO EGGS: With bacon. because, why not?
INGREDIENTS
- 6 Hard boiled eggs
- Half of a ripe avocado
- 1/2 tsp Chili powder (or more, if you want!)
- Salt + Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS: Hard boil your eggs. If you have a tried and true method - great! Use it! Otherwise, here is how I do mine. Place all eggs single layer on the bottom of a large pot. Fill pot with cool water one inch above your eggs. I always use my middle knuckle as a guide when filling my pot. This way, if I feel they're over or under cooked, I always know I've started with the same amount of water every time and can adjust elsewhere to make them better next time! // Also, note June being super cute... reading her books at the counter while I work - which lasted about 4 minutes.
Place pot onto the stove and bring to a rolling boil. Once your water is boiling, turn off the burner, cover with lid and set timer for 12 minutes. (If in the future you feel they were too soft or overcooked, adjust your timer by a minute or so until you get it just right!)
Just before you timer sounds, fill a large bowl with really cold water and ice. You'll place your eggs into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Remove your fully cooked eggs from the hot water and place them into the ice bath. Once you have all of them in the water, reach back in and, one at a time, crack them a little bit. Place back in ice water. The cold water will seep into the cracks and make your eggs even easier to peel! If the warm eggs melt all your ice, no worries. Just continue to run cold water into the bowl for a few minutes.
Peel your eggs. (Save the eggshells for your compost pile!) Carefully, with one smooth and slow motion, slice your eggs in half. Dump the yolks into a separate bowl. Now you're ready for the fun part!
You won't necessarily be making three batches like I did. Instead, choose your recipe from above and make one large batch! Smash and mix and smash and mix! Now you're ready to fill them. I normally just use a spoon, but if you'd like to transfer your filling to a ziplock back (and cut off the corner), or into a piping bag - go ahead!
Top with appropriate garnish and eat up! If you won't be eating them right away, place into a container lined with folded paper towels and refrigerate. It's common for deviled eggs to "sweat" in the fridge, which can make them kinda soggy in a day or two. The paper towels will absorb the extra moisture and keep them fresh much longer! Change the paper towels every other day if you haven't already devoured them by then. Enjoy!
