A little history
The roots of the modern-day deviled egg can be traced back to ancient Rome, where boiled eggs were served with spicy sauces as a first course. The Romans actually had a saying, “ab ova usque ad mala” which literally means “from eggs to apples,” meaning from the beginning of a meal to the end.
The mashing of yolks to create a stuffing for the eggs was first seen in the 13th century in Spain. By the 15th century, deviled eggs, closer to what we know them as, were commonly found across Europe. It wasn’t until the 18th and 19th centuries when the word ‘deviling’ became widely used to describe the process of making a food spicy. And, many cultures still use other words “mimosa eggs,” “dressed eggs,” “salad eggs,” and “stuffed eggs” to avoid associating this appetizer with Satan.
Not so much the Americans. We still think of them as being “deviled,” like Devil’s Food Cake, because… Well, they are just so freakin’ bad for you. The name? It stuck. Nothing has much changed since then. We are still making them for family get-togethers and for Thanksgiving dinners and after bad break-ups. Even the recipe remains unchanged.
You hard-cook (hard-boil) some eggs, scoop out the yolks, mash it up with mayonnaise, add some standard seasonings, spoon the whole mess back in, then sprinkle the plate with Smoked Paprika.
Couldn’t be easier.
Let’s cook
Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 hard-boiled eggs
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Grey Poupon or dijon mustard
- Splash worcestershire
- Smoked Spanish paprika or finely sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Start by cutting the eggs in half lengthwise, then carefully slipping the yolks out of the whites. Make sure not to break the whites because they will be the container that holds the filling.
- Once you have removed all of the yolks and placed them into a bowl, thoroughly mix with mayonnaise until the yolks have broken down.
- Season with a little salt—but not pepper. Instead, add a dash of hot sauce or pinch of White Pepper.
- Stir in mustard, vinegar, and a small dash of Worcestershire
- Garnish with paprika or finely sliced green onion
How to Make Hard-Boiled Eggs
Instructions
Boil method for Hard-cooked eggs:
- Place eggs in a pot.
- Cover with at least 1 inch of cold, salted water.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cover, remove from heat, and set aside for 10-12 minutes; 8-10 for medium eggs and 12-14 for Jumbo.
- Drain, cool in ice water, and peel.
Alternative 1: Simmer method for medium-firm boiled eggs:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low, then carefully lower eggs into water with a spoon or ladle.
- Cook 7 to 8 minutes.
- Drain, cool in ice water, and peel.
Alternative 2: Simmer method for soft-boiled eggs:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low, then carefully lower eggs into water with a spoon or ladle.
- Cook 4 to 5 minutes.
- Drain, cool in ice water, and peel.