Friday, February 27, 2009

Deviled Eggs

Who else here has issues making their boiled eggs come out exactly right? Yes, I know that soft boiled eggs are also called "3 minute eggs" for obvious reasons. However, it's not uncommon for me to boil 18 or more eggs at once. If I only cook them for 3 minutes, they're still raw! Don't fall out of your chair laughing. It only takes 6 people to eat that many eggs, and think about how many I routinely feed!

Anyway, I was ordering "stuff" from my buddy Jeff Bezos a while back, and was $3 short of the amount needed for free shipping. Clicking through the entertaining "kitchen crap", I found this cute little gizmo for only $3. Anyone else ever tried one? It really works!
A skinny black stripe means your soft boiled eggs are perfect.

All black means those suckers are hard boiled. Yeah, I know it's not hard to hard boil an egg. Ignore it for, say, 30 minutes, and it'll be done. This eliminates the sort of greyish-green layer around the outside of the yolk. Hooray! No unnatural colors!

So, I had these few eggs left in my open flat, and wanted to use them. Paula wrote about egg salad sandwiches a while back, and I'd been after deviled eggs ever since. So I made some yesterday, knowing our lawyer was showing up today with paperwork for us to sign, and have notarized, and I always feed him when he's here. Seriously, we never have to go to his office. Anyway, he announced today that he was on a diet, and couldn't partake of my wonderful baked goods. Some deviled eggs, a sliced apple, carrot sticks, and one slice of Batterway bread with butter, and the man was in hog heaven. I credit the eggs.

Everyone has their own way of making deviled eggs. I can't eat raw onions, or peppers in any form, so mine are simplistic. I do make my own mayonnaise, which my kids think is weird (and they go buy themselves Hellman's - along with store bought bread). So, here's my way:

DEVILED EGGS

Hard boiled eggs, cooled, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, yolks moved to a separate bowl
pickles - your favorite variety - 1 spear or 6 chips per 2 eggs
freshly ground pepper

mayonnaise - 1 tbsp per 3 eggs

Mash your egg yolks with a fork. Chop the pickles finely in the food processor. Pour into the egg yolks, including the juice which accumulates in the bottom of the processor. Grind in plenty of pepper, stir in the mayonnaise (you may want more), and spoon gently back into the egg halves. Sprinkle with paprika for decorative purposes, and enjoy them!

My lawyer explained the bank meltdown to me. Really, it shouldn't be as bad as it is. Politicians + Economics = Mess!

14 comments:

Paula said...

Gimme those deviled eggs! All of them! I love deviled eggs and haven't had one since last summer. I prefer the purist route as well, although I don't know that I've had them with pickle before. Works for me! I remember you mentioning that you make your own mayo. I bet it's great. I use the jarred stuff. Hellman's is called Best Foods out here. (Why do they do that? Use different names, that is.) Your lawyer is one lucky guy to have such a spread provided for him. I hope you ate something, too. Now, gimme those eggs! :-) PS: COOL timer!

Unknown said...

Your eggs look nummy. I use pickle relish (to lazy to chop and don't have a food processor) and dry english mustard. I love devil'd eggs.

Oh Paula - the names? Has something to do with the Missippi River. That's all I know. Funny though isn't it? g

Anonymous said...

I have never seen those but I know if I try to boil more than a dozen...I'm in trouble too!

But I love deviled eggs and don't make them nearly enough.

Anonymous said...

I love gadgets, any gadget!

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

I could eat my weight in deviled eggs. I made them for Christmas and I will make them for Easter. I have seen the little gizmo to put in your pot before but I don't have one. i think it's a great idea! Pass me the plater of eggs so we can discuss this ;-)

imjacobsmom said...

With all your wonderful recipes and ideas you should join us for Design by Gollum's Foodie Friday. ~ Robyn

Debbie Cook said...

Were we channeling each other today? I was boiling 18 eggs at 6 AM and making deviled eggs too. How weird. LOL!

I don't have one of those gizmos but the way I hard boil is to let the eggs sit out until room temp, fill the pot with water, plop in the eggs and set it on the burner. When it boils, turn off the heat, and they're done. When they start at room temp and heat up with the water, they never crack.

My purist deviled eggs "recipe" for 18 eggs:

yolks smashed with fork in my Pampered Chef batter bowl (yep, I have one of those too)
1/2 c + 1 tblsp mayo (Hellman's, I'm with your kids!)
3 tsp dry mustard
3 tsp cider vinegar
salt
pepper
Then taste and add more dry mustard usually. ;-)
Paprika sprinkled on top

Load into disposable piping bag, snip the tip, and squeeze into the whites.

My sons LOVE deviled eggs and for some reason while we were grocery shopping yesterday, the urge to make them hit. Were you whispering in my ear?

pam said...

Oh, I love that little egg timer! You recipe sounds perfect, I don't like raw onions and avoid them at all costs.

buffalodick said...

I have an entire cookbook on deviled egg variations. I this region, it usually means mustard, mayo, a little salt, and paprika sprinked on top... I've had them with chopped pickle, horsradish, chopped ham mixed in, onion, etc. Once I even made a Scotch deviled egg(out side of egg in cooked pork sausage!)All I know is they are never a left-over!

test it comm said...

I have not tried deviled eggs yet but they look really good!

SissySees said...

How to properly boil an egg has been a source of domestic strife for years here. The Knight is getting an egg timer for Easter. Thank you!

(And I use sweet pickle relish and wet mustard, with Dukes or homemade mayo.)

buffalodick said...

The closer the egg is to is freshness expiration date, the easier it is to peel..Also, if you ever have to make 100-200 of them, you can order them already cooked and peeled from a wholesale food service like Gordons...

monica said...

Now that's a smart boiling egg gizmo/thingy/widget ! (in Danish we would say a "dims" and I looked it up...) much more fun than the old regular timer...

Pam said...

Simple is best. I love deviled eggs and can eat way too many of them.