RCP: Deviled Eggs

I had to make deviled eggs today. 18-count eggs were going for 89 cents at a market.

Years ago I tweaked a simple deviled egg recipe into something that's super-duper, IMO. People love 'em. And at a party, it's fun to watch the eggs disappear so fast it's like a flock of vultures flew by.

Larry's Deviled Eggs

6 hard-boiled eggs, cut in half, yolks removed to bowl.
Add 1/4 cup mayo (or more if the mixture gets too thick)
1 tsp vinegar (I use apple or sherry, usu.)
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp salt
Few grindings of black pepper
A dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
A dash of liquid smoke
A dash of ground cayenne pepper

Mix thoroughly and fill empty egg whites. (I use a cookie press with a star tip to fill the eggs; a pastry bag would probably work, too.) I then usually sprinkle the tops with a little cayenne or smoked paprika.

Now see how fast they disappear.

[Jenise]

Look good! Deviled eggs seem to be trending up. Or maybe it's just that they've never stopped being popular in the south, but we saw them on Nashville menus several times in the week we spent there a year ago right now. Indeed--back when I used to socialize anyway--devilled eggs are amazingly popular at parties. With the fad of keto diets, I'll bet even more so.

[Robin Garr]

I love deviled eggs! I can't attest to their trendiness, but here in the Upper South/Border Country a lot of fancy restaurants offer them as apps, usually in a set of six halves set out on a purpose-built tray, each flavored in a different way.

I could eat a lot of those, but gimme local pastured eggs regardless of the price. I know too much about industrial egg production.

When I had my own chickens, my eggs were great, with dark yolks and different-colored shells--including green. (Shades of Dr. Seuss!)

My mother-in-law makes good D.E. If it's trendy, it's been trendy for 70 years!

Devilled eggs were a must on any entertaining platter in the 1960s. I watched my mother and the lady who lived next door making them for many, many hours as a child. CWA meetings, Red Cross meetings, weddings catered by either of those stalwart organisations, church socials, supper when people came round to play cards - devilled eggs. Of course, eggs were in abundance because everyone had their own chooks.

I liked them back then, and I like them now. Tasty!

I can’t resist tinkering with seasonings although Larry’s recipe is a classic and is a definite taste memory. Anchovy, capers, pestos of various sorts - ramp, dill, basil, harissa, etc make appearances depending on the rest of the menu. I use a smoked pimienton rather than liquid smoke if I want that note. What I really love about deviled eggs is garnishing them. A guilty time waster but oh so useful for using up choice leftovers like smoked trout or salmon