Sometimes referred to as eggs mimosa, deviled eggs are a popular appetizer or snack. Served cold and easy to eat with the fingers, they are ideal for parties, barbecues and holidays.
The yolks, which form the filling, are usually mixed with mayonnaise. However, they can just as well be mixed with other sauces, herbs, fish, crunchy vegetables and so on for an almost endless variety of tastes, textures and colors. The basic recipe given here is for ‘classic’ deviled eggs with mayonnaise, but ideas are also included for different colored fillings.
Tips:
- Do not use fresh eggs in this recipe. Eggs approaching their ‘best before’ date are much easier to peel.
- Do not cook the eggs in boiling water. This turns the whites rubbery. See below for cooking instructions.
- Once the eggs are cooked, cool them quickly in cold water. This prevents an ugly green-gray rim forming around the yolks.
- This recipe is a great way of using up Easter eggs after the children have found them.
Serves 4.
Cooking time: 20 minutes.
Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Ingredients for Classic Deviled Eggs:
- 4 large eggs
- 4 teaspoons (light) mayonnaise
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Paprika powder to garnish (optional)
Alternative Fillings:
For colorful alternatives to the classic recipe given above, replace the mayonnaise with four teaspoons of Dijon mustard (for dark yellow eggs), pesto (for green eggs) or paprika powder and a little mayonnaise for ‘lubrication’ (for dark red eggs).
To make a selection of different colored eggs, as shown here, mix each yolk separately and reduce the amounts to one teaspoon per yolk.
Preparation:
- Put the eggs in a large saucepan and fill with just enough cold water to cover them. Put on a medium heat and bring to the boil.
- As soon as the water has come to the boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and leave the eggs to stand in the hot water for around 15 minutes.
- Pour out the hot water and cover with cold water to cool quickly (it is possible to add a few ice cubes here).
- Once the eggs are cold, peel and slice in half, lengthways.
- Carefully remove each yolk with a teaspoon. If making the same filling for all the eggs, put all the yolks in one bowl and mash with a fork.
- Add the mayonnaise and season and thoroughly mix into the yolks. The mixture should be smooth and light yellow in color. If it still seems too dry or stiff, add a little more mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide the yolk mixture equally and spoon back into the egg whites. Alternatively – this method is more precise but a bit more time-consuming – put the filling into a pastry bag with a relatively large nozzle and pipe into the whites.
- Sprinkle the eggs with paprika powder (optional) and transfer to a plate. Deviled eggs can be served immediately but taste even better if they have had a chance to chill in the fridge for an hour or two.
For more deviled egg recipes, try Deviledeggs.com, a website dedicated to these tasty little hors d’oeuvres. The site contains ‘how to’ guides, photos and recipes, with additional filling ideas such as shrimp and olive, crab meat and celery, and sweet pickle and horseradish.
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