Monday, April 25, 2011

Devil Eggs

I've launched a little food-related project in conjunction with the folks at Fooducopia, a site where small food producers sell their products. My part in this is that I'll be creating recipes specifically for products sold on the Fooducopia site. This is one of those recipes.

Deviled eggs and I have a long history. Many years ago, when I was just a little kid, I used to make deviled eggs for what my mom called "party trays" that she assembled to make extra cash. There were pickles and olives and stuffed celery and other munchie items.

And I'd make the deviled eggs. I got pretty good at it.

Deviled eggs may not be as fashionable as they used to be, but retro is always fashionable.

Meanwhile, my tastes have changed. A lot. I've acquired a taste for spicy foods, and I've been spicing up my deviled eggs. First, a little bit if horseradish, then a little bit of salsa. This time, I opted for a hot sauce that includes habanero peppers. It's an interesting heat. At first, the deviled eggs seem completely normal, then the heat creeps in after a little while

My normal deviled eggs have a little kick from horseradish, but these eggs pack a nice punch from habaneros. I'm calling them Devil Eggs, because they're so sneaky with their heat.

But it's not all about kicking you in the teeth with heat. These eggs have a nice balance. Yes, the heat is there, but the relish adds sweetness and the mustard adds some tang. Of course, there's mayonnaise that makes the yolks smooth and creamy. All together, these are darned tasty eggs.

I continued the pepper theme by using crushed red peppercorns and brined green peppercorns for the garnishes. If you don't have brined green peppercorns, capers would work, too. The flavor's not the same, but they look similar, and the flavor is compatible.

This recipe is small - just 4 eggs, to make 8 deviled eggs, Not a party quantity, but enough for a family snack or appetizer. And of course it's easier to multiply a recipe if you need more, than to divide if you need less

Devil Eggs

4 eggs, hard boiled and cooled.
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon Zane and Zack's Three Brothers Hot Pepper Sauce
1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (more as needed)
pinch of salt
for garnish:
crushed pink peppercorns
brined green peppercorns (or capers)

Peel the eggs and cut them in half, lengthwise. Put the yolks in a bowl and add the mustard, mayo, pepper sauce, relish and salt. Mash the yolks with a fork and mix until the mixture is smooth. If it seems too dry, add more mayo, as needed. Taste for seasoning. A teaspoon of hot pepper sauce will give you a decently hot filling; add more, to taste.

Using a small disher, pastry bag, or a spoon, fill the whites with the yolk mixture. Garnish with the ground pink peppercorns and the green peppercorns, as desired. Serve.

Note: it always seems like there's one egg that doesn't peel right or one that tear or looks ragged. No need to toss out that sad-looking white. Just chop if up and add it to the yolk mixture. And always make more deviled eggs than you think you'll need. Besides the few that don't peel right and the ones you'll need to sample, consider that left over deviled eggs, chopped up, would make a nice egg salad.

To be clear, I'm not reviewing or endorsing the products in this recipe. I've created the recipe for Fooducopia to post its site and I'm re-posting the recipe here for my readers as well. Then again, since I created the recipe, rest assured that I liked it. I don't cook stuff that we're not going to eat.
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