I’ve been wanting to make deviled eggs and egg salad for a while, but never remembered to get mayonnaise. We finally got some yesterday so here are my simple recipes, which I prefer, and some ideas for different flavors.
To start with, selecting eggs is important. It will determine how you will cook them. I had a box of older eggs, about 10 days old. If you can use older eggs, you can simply cover them with water and boil for 15 mins. As soon as they are done, cover them with repeated changes of cold water until the water doesn’t warm up quickly. They will be ready to peel. All 12 of mine peeled perfectly, for a change.
If you have to use fresh eggs, steaming them is best. Set them on a steamer in a pan with plenty of water and steam for 20 mins. As soon as the timer goes off, put them immediately into a large ice water bath. Keep them in there until you are done peeling. I’ve found if I keep the shell very wet, by putting the egg back into the ice water as needed, they peel easier.
Deviled Eggs
I rinse each egg and slice it in ½ as I go, discarding the yolks in a small bowl. If I get one where the yolk is real close to the edge of the white, I slice it up for egg salad.
I set out some different herbs and spices you can try in the yolk mix. I prefer simply mayonnaise and Dijon mustard in mine, with a sprinkle of paprika on top. The little dish is chives.
This is The Joy of Cooking and on page 225 there are lots of ideas for exotic fillings.
Egg Salad
Once I had the best ones for the deviled eggs, I set about slicing up the remaining ones for egg salad. I have an egg slicer and like the eggs diced. This is a tricky maneuver to do.
Cut #1 is with the egg perpendicular to the wires.
Cut #2 is with the egg parallel to the wires.
Cut #3 is with the egg still parallel to the wires, but turned 90°. To do this you need to cup the egg, which is resting on top of the wires, in your hand and turn it upside down, dropping it off the wires. Open the slicer and carefully rotate the egg and set it back in the rest. Holding it in place on as many sides as you can, slice the last time.
I put about 2½ - 3 tbsps. of mayonnaise and 1 heaping tbsp. of Dijon mustard in and mix well.
I made sandwiches of this for lunch using my millet bread, one side spread with the salad, a thick layer of baby kale and beet leaves, and bread and butter relish spread on the other slice. Yum!
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