EASTER EGGS
Easter – a time of religious traditions and rituals, balanced with – or replaced by – Easter bunnies and chocolate and egg hunts. It’s a time of year to usher in the warmth and sun of Spring.
According to an online survey commissioned by McCormick, nearly 61 percent of Americans eat deviled eggs during Easter. I have a deep love for deviled eggs. When I see one, I can’t resist. Homemade, store-made, on the menu at a restaurant, if I see a deviled egg, I must have it. My theory is that they are called “deviled eggs” because the voices whisper & make you eat 25 of them, but when scrambled you can eat only two. Deviled eggs is that one friend who shows up uninvited to every party and is still the most popular.
Do deviled eggs need an introduction? Those little bright white and sunny yellow egg halves are instantly recognizable. Deviled eggs are hard boiled eggs, cut in half, the whites stuffed with the yolks mixed up with mayonnaise and other flavors. The deviled egg we know today can be traced back to ancient Rome, where boiled eggs were seasoned with spicy sauces and served as the starter of a fancy meal usually made for guests.
“Deviled,” a term first used to describe spicy foods in late 18th century Britain, presumably because the “heat” of the seasoning was associated with the fires of hell, refers to the eggs’ tangy flavoring. Some Christians, particularly in the Southern and Midwestern United States, may call deviled eggs “stuffed eggs,” “salad eggs,” or “dressed eggs” to avoid the association with the word “devil”.
The earliest known American recipe for deviled eggs was printed in the Montgomery Advertiser, a news publication in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1877. The recipe included boiled eggs with yolks mixed with melted butter, vinegar, cayenne pepper, and dry mustard. The first known recipe to use mayonnaise as an ingredient in deviled eggs was in the 1896 version of an American cookbook titled The Boston Cooking School Cookbook by Fannie Farmer. In this early recipe, the mayonnaise was recommended as a binding agent for the yolk mixture. By the 1940s, special platters with oblong indentations designed to hold deviled eggs became a standard gift for Southern brides.
Today, most showers, baby or wedding, have deviled eggs. They show up at holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas too. They are the perfect appetizer for potlucks, picnics, and gatherings. Today’s egg prices make them especially prized!
Most Americans make deviled eggs with mayonnaise, mustard, smoked paprika, and maybe some secret ingredients. I learned on the internet that people around the world commonly use the following ingredients in their deviled eggs: tartar sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pickles, relish, vinegar, olives, pimentos, onion, caviar, cream, capers and sour cream. They may use spices like chipotle, turmeric, poppy seed, thyme, and cilantro, and toppings including caviar, anchovies, bacon, shrimp and herring. While the serving size recommended is 2 deviled eggs (1 whole egg) per person, I always figure 1 ½ eggs per person. I can always eat any leftovers tomorrow for breakfast!
This year because eggs are so expensive, I don’t plan on experimenting with the recipe. I am sticking to a tried and favorite basic recipe for mine.
Basic Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
8 eggs
½ cup mayonnaise (use your favorite)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons paprika
Preparation
Place eggs in a small heavy saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil on high heat and continue to cook eggs for 10 minutes, until hard-boiled. Cool and peel.
Carefully slice eggs in half lengthwise. Remove cooked yolks and add to small bowl, setting whites aside. Mash the yolks finely with the back of a fork (or use a fine-mesh sieve for a very smooth filling). Stir in mayonnaise and mustard until smooth and creamy.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon or pipe filling into reserved whites, mounding yolk mixture in each half-egg. Sprinkle generously with paprika. Place in refrigerator and chill until ready to serve. Makes 16 deviled eggs.
