By Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville
I am amazed at the number of people I have spoken to who don’t know how to make and enjoy some nice, cold, attractive Devilled Eggs. For summer parties, Devilled Eggs are a must. It is also one of the favourite recipes of Ayden, my grandson, who has a flair for making them and enjoys the process with the piping bag. Our family enjoys making these so much for our own get-togethers that we have two specialty plates with the indents in them to hold and display the eggs (these are available at kitchen shops). However, described below is a technique for using a standard presentation plate for this tasteful tidbit.
Ayden’s Devilled Eggs Ingredients
- 1 dozen large or extra-large eggs, aged a couple of weeks (for ease of peeling)
- Mayonnaise
- Green relish
- Lemon Juice
- Tobasco
- Cocktail onions
- Capers
- Paprika
Preparation
For the Eggs…
- Hard boil 1 dozen eggs, cool with cold water and refrigerate for at least an hour
- Peel the eggs carefully and place in a bowl for ease of handling
- Cut each egg lengthwise and scoop out the yolk in a separate bowl; the yokes should be solid due to boiling; this should leave you with the white of the egg as a “container” for the filling
- If you don’t have a Devilled Egg plate, simply slice a small piece from the bottom of the egg white so that it will lie flat on a regular plate
- Lay out all of the two dozen whites, ready to be filled on your presentation plate(s)
For the Filling…
- For the filling, use a fork to mash the egg yolks with two to four tablespoons of mayo, two to four of green relish, a splash of lemon juice, and a dash or two of Tabasco; the result should be spreadable
- Taste the filling and adjust the taste and the consistency (I don’t recommend using salt but some pepper is a welcome addition); I also don’t recommend garlic or onion powders)
- Place the prepared “spread” in a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle and fill the egg white cavity with filling (do not overfill); you now have the basic Devilled Egg
- For trim, cut a small cocktail onion in half and place one of the pieces on 12 of the eggs; for the remaining dozen, place a caper on each one; you can use anything that is savory to trim, such as a small piece of red onion; it’s entirely up to your taste
- Shake some Paprika over the eggs (don’t worry about shaking some onto the dish, it adds to the presentation)
- Refrigerate, please! Then serve cold and watch them disappear…
Many thanks for the kind feedback coming my way. Please keep in touch at pcormier@ranaprocess.com.