The Hirshon Ne Plus Ultra Deviled Eggs

Citizens, your beloved leader is a veritable fiend for deviled eggs (pun fully intended!).

Deviled eggs (US) or devilled eggs (UK) are hard-boiled eggs, shelled, cut in half, and filled with the hard-boiled egg’s yolk mixed with other ingredients such as mayonnaise and mustard, but many other variants exist internationally.

Deviled eggs are usually served cold. They are served as a side dish, appetizer or a main course, and are a common holiday or party food.

The term “deviled”, in reference to food, was already in use in the 18th century, with the first known print reference appearing in 1786. In the 19th century, it came to be used most often with spicy or zesty food, including eggs prepared with mustard, pepper or other ingredients stuffed in the yolk cavity.

After much experimentation, I have found the necessary steps steps to turn out a perfect hard-boiled egg – the yolk deep yellow and creamy, not black where it meets the white and the whites with a firm yet tender texture.

These tips make all the difference:

– Placing the securely closed carton of eggs on its side the night before cooking centers the yolks.
– Salt in the water makes leaking white cook fast and seals cracks on any egg that may break.
– Running cold water over the eggs at the end of cooking cools them quickly to help prevent greening of the yolk surface and makes peeling easier.
– As for shelling, eggs about a week to 10 days old peel with the most ease. Start by cracking the wide end of the egg.

Citizens, my version of the classic recipe is redolent of 4 different kinds of pepper and enhanced with a range of spicy and umami flavors that create a symphonic triumph on your palate! They even (optionally) come with “buried treasures”!

You’ll find no finer version of this classic recipe, I assure you! 🙂

Battle on – The Generalissimo
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6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, cut in half and yolks mashed in a bowl
2 tablespoons Best Foods mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
1 ½ teaspoons white miso
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
½ teaspoon whole pink peppercorns
½ teaspoon whole white peppercorns
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
½ teaspoon brined green peppercorns, finely chopped
½ teaspoon green peppercorn brine
2 ½ teaspoons minced capers in brine
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
Salt to taste (optional)
Paprika (preferably Spanish smoked paprika) for garnish
Minced chives VC for garnish

Optional “buried treasure”:

Stilton or creamy blue cheese mashed with a touch of Brandy
Roast Beef, minced to a paste with a touch of Anchovy paste

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To make the perfect hard-boiled eggs: put six eggs (ideally ones that have been in the fridge for at least a week – older eggs are easier to peel) in water just enough to cover in a pot with 1 tablespoon of salt.

Bring to the boil, then immediately lower the heat to a very light simmer for 7 minutes. At the 7 minute mark, raise the heat to high and count down 4 minutes – it should come back to a full boil.

At the 4 minute mark, drain the eggs and immediately run under cold water until cool enough to handle.

If you are lucky enough to own a sous-vide machine, heat the water to 85 degrees Celsius, add the eggs, cook 22 minutes then remove them and add to an ice water bath for 5 minutes.

Once peeled and cut, thoroughly combine the mashed yolks with mayonnaise, miso and mustard. Stir in Worcestershire, Old Bay and vinegar.

Place all of the dry peppercorns into a spice grinder and process until ground well.

Add the ground peppers, chopped green peppercorns and their brine and the minced capers to the mashed egg yolks and using a fork, stir to thoroughly combine.

If using the optional “buried treasure”:

Add a teaspoon or so of Blue cheese mixed with brandy in half the whites, mashed roast beef with a touch of anchovy paste in the other halves.

Place the yolk mixture into a zip-top plastic bag and cut a small hole at one of the corners (or even better, use a piping bag with a star tip if you have one). Pipe the mixture into each of the empty or filled white halves.

If using buried treasure – garnish each egg half with a sprinkle of paprika (for the beef halves) and then chives (for the blue cheese halves) – arrange alternating halves on a plate and serve. Use one or both garnishes if using non-buried treasure as you prefer.

Chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator before serving. Taste and add more salt if you wish.