Email to Cat      

Devilish Eggs

Source of Recipe

"The Southerner's Cookbook: Recipes, Wisdom, and Stories"


Recipe Introduction

"When Chef Trevor Higgins was growing up in Cleveland, Tennessee, deviled eggs were a tradition at family get-togethers, as they still are at gatherings across the South and beyond. 'My grandmother had those neat old platters, and she would bring out tons of deviled eggs for us to snack on before the meal,' says Higgins, who serves his own ramped-up version of the dish at his restaurant, Roost, in Greenville, South Carolina. 'I go classic with mustard and mayonnaise, but I add bacon fat and a drop of Sriracha.' We'll take a dozen, please."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 12 large grade-A eggs
â—¦ 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
â—¦ ½ cup mayonnaise
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons grainy mustard
â—¦ 1 tablespoon Sriracha
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons bacon grease
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 2 ounces smoked salmon, cut into small slices (optional)
â—¦ Snipped fresh chives for garnish (optional)


Recipe

Place the eggs in a stockpot and add water to cover by 1 inch. Add the vinegar. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes more (you're looking for a firm yolk). Remove the pot from the heat, put it in the sink, and run cold water over it for 1 to 2 minutes to cool the eggs a bit, then transfer the eggs to an ice-water bath and chill (about 20 minutes), until cooled completely.

Remove the eggs from the water, peel them, then cut them in half-lengthwise and scoop out the yolks.

Combine the egg yolks, mayonnaise, mustard, Sriracha, and bacon grease in a medium bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk the ingredients until smooth. Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe it into the egg yolk halves. Top each with a small slice of salmon and snipped chives, if using.
Serve immediately.


Makes 24; Serves 12



• Tip:
There are all kinds of tales about how best to avoid divots or craters when peeling eggs, but these are the methods we've found work best: First, save just-laid eggs for another recipe; older eggs peel more easily. Second, let the eggs chill completely. (They contract slightly, making peeling easier.) Third, gently roll the egg around on your countertop with enough pressure to thoroughly crack the shell without breaking the egg. Start peeling at the air pocket, using the membrane to help lift bits of broken shell.