Perfect Deviled Eggs

Wednesday 25 February 2015

Perfect Deviled Eggs





If there is one thing on a buffet table that is very popular, it has to be Deviled Eggs.    I hope you don't think I am bragging when I say this, but  . . .  I do believe that I make the most delicious Deviled Eggs in the world.  


If I had a pound or dollar for every Deviled Egg I have made in my lifetime that was enjoyed by someone, I'd be sitting pretty well at the moment with no financial worries for the rest of my life.   


In fact when I worked at the manor, I was under express orders to make sure there was a plate of them in the refrigerator at all times.  I am sure they must have missed them when I left.

 Perfect Deviled Eggs






Here in the UK we are lucky enough to have some of the safest egg standards in the world.   British Lion Eggs go above and beyond to make sure that the eggs we are buying meet every guideline for safety. 


 You can be well assured that if you egg has the Lion stamp on it, it's an egg that has passed very strict safety guidelines.



Perfect Deviled Eggs





The British Lion is the UK's most successful food safety mark with nearly 90% of UK eggs now produced within the Lion scheme. You can read how the Lion Code of Practice has effectively eradicated Salmonella in British eggs here.  



I can remember being really freaked out when I first moved over here and saw that the eggs in the shops were not refrigerated.   Turns out the standards are so high, they don't need to be.  (I do refrigerate mine when I get them home however, and you really should as the temperatures in our homes are not the same as those in the shops.)



Perfect Deviled Eggs






It goes without saying that when eggs are going to be the star of the recipe you want a really good egg!  These Deviled Eggs are the best and they are really simple to make.   


You need nothing more than some good eggs, some good mayonnaise, some Dijon mustard and some seasoning.  That's it!  Simple.

 

 Perfect Deviled Eggs






People are often very intimidated when it comes to boiling eggs.   I have found through the years that if I follow a few simple rules, they always come out perfectly.


For Soft Boiled Eggs
with set whites and runny yolks
Fill a saucepan wit enough water to cover the egg, and heat to a gentle boil.  Pierce the large end of the egg with an egg piercer or a needle.  (This helps to release any pressure which might crack the shell.)  When the water is gently simmering, lower the egg on a tablespoon.   Set an egg timer.   It will take 3 to 4 minutes for a large egg to be soft boiled.  If you are cooking many eggs at the same time, it is helpful to lower them into the water in a wire basket, such as those used for deep frying.



For Medium Boiled Eggs with firm opague whites and soft yolks.
Medium boiled eggs can be shelled and used in place of poached eggs.  Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the egg, and heat to a gentle boil  Pierce the large end of the egg with an egg piercer or needle.  (See above) When the water is gently boiling, lower the egg on a tablespoon into the pan.   Cover the pan and remove from the heat.   Let the egg stand for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on how firm you want it to be.



For Hard Boiled Eggs with firm whites and yolks
Pierce the large end of the egg with an egg piercer or needle (see above).  Put the egg in a pan and fill it with water.  Bring it to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 12 minutes.  Remove from the heat and immediately place the egg into cold water.



NOTE:  An over cooked egg will develop a harmless dark ring that isn't as appetizing as the bright yellow yolk.

Also for hard boiled eggs, older eggs are easier to peel.  If I know I am going to be needing boiled eggs for something I always  get them in well ahead of time.   I have tried adding salt and vinegar to the water, which is said to help, but the fact remains that the fresher the egg, the more difficult it will be to peel intact.



Perfect Deviled Eggs






In any case I hope you will give my Deviled Egg Recipe a go.  I am pretty sure you will like them.  At least I hope you will!




 Perfect Deviled Eggs






*Perfect Deviled Eggs*
Makes 12 servings

I wish I had a pound for every one of these I have cooked in my lifetime.  I'd be sitting real pretty on a huge pile of dosh right now!  These are excellent.  Always the first things to disappear on the buffet table. 

12 large free range eggs, hard boiled and peeled
110g of good quality mayonnaise (1/2 cup)
2 TBS grainy dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
paprika to garnish 


Perfect Deviled Eggs




Slice the eggs in half lengthwise.   Remove the yolks to a mixing bowl.  Mash the yolks thoroughly with a fork.   Whisk in the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and black pepper.   Mix until smooth.  Spoon or pipe into each egg yolk half, dividing the mixture equally.  Dust lightly with paprika to serve. 


Perfect Deviled Eggs





Note:  If you are not serving these right away, cover and chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.  Dust with paprika just prior to serving.



Perfect Deviled Eggs





If you would like some more Boiled Egg Recipes,  please check out the link.





boiled eggs






I was sent an Andrew James Egg Boiler to use.  It came with a measuring cup to measure the correct amount of water to use in order to get your egg boiled to the right level you require . . .  soft, medium or hard.  



There is also an egg piercer in the bottom of the cup and you can also use it as a steamer to steam vegetables etc.   It has enough space in it to boil up to seven eggs at once.  Many thanks to British Lion Eggs for sending it to me!



8 comments

  1. The eggs look perfect and that is one cute small appliance:)

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  2. It is a cute appliance, and it worked really well. My photos are so hit and miss these days Monique. I am trying to get the hang of using a bridge camera and I just don't always get it right. I think I need to take a class! I love my egg plate. It is an old hob nail glass one I got at a charity shop. As soon as I saw it, I snapped it up! xoxo

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  3. Do you ever wonder who was the first person to create some of our classic recipes, like Deviled Eggs, ones we all take for granted? And how in the world did this one get the name, Deviled Eggs? This is one dish that seems no matter how many you make for a function, it's never enough. Personally I haven't met a man yet that doesn't love Deviled Eggs. I have to admit I'm rather partial to them myself. At times I help with the church ladies when there is a funeral and the family is having the meal after the service and burial at the church hall. The organizer ALWAYS knows to request at least a couple dozen deviled eggs from the volunteers. Have you noticed this is always the first dish to go, to empty, and you'll rarely see a man pass by without getting one, sometimes two. Anymore would be considered very greedy but that doesn't mean they won't come back later. What's interesting is in the last 10 years or so the simple Deviled Eggs dish has become part of the group of recipes that everyone is trying to "update" or "modernize" or "make their own", make "Sophisticated" or somehow change them. And yet, when you go back to the simiple, basic, plain Deviled Eggs dish, there's not much better as part of your meal.

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  4. Pam I am indeed a person who wonders things like that. I have an inquiring mind. Yes, the Deviled Eggs are always the first thing to go. I like mine as I have done here, plain, with just some mustard and unadulterated with other junk like pickle or olives. You really can't mess with perfection! Thanks for your lovely comment! xoxo

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  5. I'm anxious to try your recipe. I make pretty much the same thing except here in the US most of us usually use the regular yellow (think hot dogs)mustard. I'm excited to try the Dijon mustard. Oddly that idea never occurred to me to substitute it especially when I like it so much. The TRUE test however will be hearing what my dad and brother say about them. My folks are "snowbirds". Do you use that term in the UK? It's for retirees that go somewhere warm each winter? (The lucky ducks! If you hear anything in your news about the terrible arctic cold that's hit in the Washington, DC area or "Mid-Atlantic" region, THAT is what I've been suffering through this winter.) Mine are all the way across the country in San Diego, CA and when they come home I always try to get the family together and make a big meal. In about a month when they're home, I want to add these to the table and see what they say. I'm not going to mention I'm trying a new recipe. Let's see what happens as I have some true Deviled Egg lovers in the family.

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  6. WE do have Snowbird Friends who fly from here to Florida in the Winter that call themselves snowbirds, but technically it isn't a term that would be used over here. Most of ours escape to Spain for the Winter. I hope your family loves the deviled eggs! xoxo

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  7. I put my eggs in a cupcake pan and put them in an oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. A finer hardbaked egg you will not find...using the same recipe as above,but add a tea-spoon of horseradish per 8 eggs. It makes the eggs yummy...

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