My college/post-college roommate and maid of honor, Elisabeth R, loves patriotic holidays – following in the footsteps of her paternal grandmother, Dot C. About a decade ago Elisabeth came east from Seattle with her husband (Dan S) and Mom (Judy R) to celebrate 4th of July in Cherry Hill, NJ at her grandmother’s home. Ed and I were graciously invited to join the Revell family festivities. As soon as we got to the house Dot put us to work and my job was helping her to make deviled eggs. No 4th of July celebration was complete without this classic American food in Dot’s mind. While I’ve always loved deviled eggs I had never made them until that memorable occasion. I loved that Dot took me under her wing. Now whenever I make them I think back to that happy summer day.
While I tend towards more gourmet foods, some things are best left in their simplest form – deviled eggs definitely fall into this group. It takes a bit of work but not a lot of ingredients to achieve a perfect deviled egg. Just some eggs, mayonnaise, yellow mustard (I prefer to use Dijon), salt and pepper plus some paprika, celery salt and parsley (or other green herb) for garnish.
I made these for an end of summer gathering on Lake Champlain in upstate New York last summer. It was our last night there and we had lovely fresh eggs from Mace Chasm Farm in Keesville, NY and classic deviled eggs seemed like the perfect thing to bring (I was not alone as two others had the same thought). While I was happy to be using farm fresh eggs they were actually a bit too fresh. It’s actually easier to peel hard boiled eggs if they’re a week or so old. The peeling part was a bit laborious but the eggs tasted so good. Deviled eggs are the perfect party food – easy to pick up, no cutting or spreading plus you can eat them in two bites.
While I prefer the classic deviled egg, I love how many options exist to dress them up. At a recent Gourmet Dinner Club (GDC) dinner where our theme was “En Plein Air” (French for “outdoors”), Bryn S brought a selection of four different deviled eggs – martini, beet, jalapeño and bacon/avocado. The martini version was my favorite – made with dash of gluten-free vodka.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much my brother-in-law, Colin S, loves deviled eggs. Years ago we gave him is very own deviled egg plates for Christmas and he’s still using them.
The Kitchn provides a great lesson on How To Boil Eggs Perfectly Every Time. They recommend cracking the eggs slightly after they’re cooked and before putting them into a dish of cold water. The only addition I’d make is to wear rubber gloves as the eggs are quite hot.
While this may not be a new recipe to many, I hope that inspires you to resurrect some of the simpler foods for upcoming 4th of July celebrations or summer picnics.
| Classic Deviled Eggs | Print |
- 12 hard boiled eggs (see notes)
- 4 to 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard (such as Dijon)
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- Garnish: paprika, celery salt and parsley leaves
- Hard boil and peel eggs.
- Cut each egg in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop yolks into a bowl and place whites on a serving plate in a single layer.
- Mash yolks with a fork until they resemble fine crumbs. Add 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise and yellow mustard. Stir with a fork until well incorporated and smooth. Add more tablespoon of mayonnaise if needed. Mix in salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- To fill the eggs you can use spoon or rubber spatula. If you’re feeling fancy, fill a pastry bag or ziplock bag (cut of the tip once filled) with yolk mixture and pipe into each egg half.
- Garnish each filled egg with a sprinkling of paprika and celery salt along with a parsley leaf.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made a few hours in advance.
* Recipe can easily be halved or doubled.
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