Giving the Devil His Due
(The magnificent Deviled Egg)
(To all my Vegan friends out there, you may want to just walk on by this post.)
Oh? The Little Chef?
Forgive my gratuitous “proud Grandma” moment. Isn’t he adorable? And he loves to help his Mom cook! It must be genetic. He wanted a chef’s hat and apron for his birthday. I hope to see him in a full grown set some day if that is what he longs for. Love you little man!
Now…where was I? Ahh… yes! Back to the Devil. I promised a fellow blogging friend to post this little bit of family history. I bar tend for him over at his favorite ether hangout. You should check out his latest If We Were Having a Beer post. Funny guy and a true Jack of all trades.
Most people (those who like eggs anyway) love a deviled egg. They have been around since Betty Crocker sewed her first apron and have been the guest at many celebrations throughout the years. They are a hit at parties, especially now in this low carbs geared eating society. My sons all love them, a few even request them specially for any gathering. I have always used my Mom’s simple recipe with a bit of my own “pizzazz” thrown in. And then there is the matter of the “secret ingredient”. Credit for that goes to my sister, who makes them all the time and hers are requested by everyone who has ever eaten them. But…we’ll get there eventually. First let me just lay out the basics for you.
The star of this production, of course, is the Incredible Edible Egg. I always loved that campaign to reinstate the chicken offspring after the first news of the damaging effects of cholesterol pointed its accusatory finger at everyone’s favorite breakfast food. You gotta’ love advertising genius. 🙂
Boil them. (but don’t tell the chicken. They are so sensitive). I won’t bore you with boiling techniques. That is an entirely different post. Who would guess there are dozens of “foolproof” methods? Okay, okay, salt in the water, full boil for 8 minutes, sitting in the hot water for 8 minutes after turning off, run under cold water and allow to cool. Oh, and my hubby swears by dunking them in ice water. He discovered this after trying to hurriedly boil eggs for his grateful wife who rushes home for lunch each day.
Assemble crucial ingredients. For me, unfortunately I have no exact measurements. It is a fly by your pants, taste as you go, I’ve been doing it since I was twelve kind of thing. BUT the ingredients for our family’s “famous” deviled eggs are as follows:
Deviled Eggs
Mayo (I only use Blue Plate-please don’t talk to me about Miracle Whip. There is nothing miraculous about sweetened oil, but I respect anyone’s tastes so please take no offense.)
Mustard, the yellow kind, although I have been known to plop in a tsp of Creole mustard if any is on hand. That zips things up a bit!
Sour pickles or Dill Relish (Sweet relish never touches my lips so if you are into that, please just don’t tell me about it.)
Green Onion, tops only, and in moderation (this is where I stray from my Mom’s recipe. She used only onion powder but I like the distinct flavor of the green onion tops without the distracting crunch)
Salt, Black Pepper, Celery Salt (just a pinch), Cayenne Pepper (making them Devilish)
So, gently scoop out the yolks, place in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add all ingredients, checking for taste and texture a bit near the end. I have my own method as most people do, adding onion and pickle first, then the wetter ingredients. We like our deviled eggs creamy but not liquid like. Don’t overdo the mayo and drain your pickles. They add moisture which is why I add them first.
Lastly, comes the Secret Ingredient- thank you Mona- crispy fried, crumbled BACON!!! Yep! And sometimes if I am bringing them to a party I will save a few choice pieces to garnish each egg with, just for enticement.
Stir it all up, then carefully stuff your eggs. Some people like to get all fancy with a pastry bag and star tip but this will not work well with our friendly piggy addition. I just sort of fluff the filling in the center of the egg. Lastly, a gentle dusting with Cayenne pepper gives the final taste buzz we all love. So many flavors that roll over your tongue in waves of pure delight. This is a real comfort food for the guys we know. And the bacon is the jewel in the crown.
Voile!!
The Incredible, dressed up, Edible Egg!
(This must be how it feels after a good Glamour Shots session. But we don’t talk about that fiasco)
Happy Thanksgiving All!!
Tropical Affair 
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