…and boiling the perfect egg
I simply despise locating a potentially usable recipe and then having to scroll through paragraph upon paragraph of background information or humorous anecdotes. To paraphrase Detective Joe Friday, “Just the recipe, ma’am.”
So, here you go.
Dilly Deviled Eggs
Equipment
- Pot for boiling eggs, 2 quart or larger
- Potato masher or fork
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Piping bag and large piping tip
Ingredients
- 12 hard-boiled eggs, cooled and shells removed Pasture raised, if possible, the fresher the better
- 1 cup mayonnaise Olive oil based is my preferred mayo
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard
- 2-3 tbsp dill pickle juice That's right…just remove some from your favorite jar of dill pickles
- 1 tsp sea salt, ground
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
- 1-2 tsp dried dill weed Use fresh if you have it…chopped fine
- 1 sprig fresh dill for garnish
Instructions
- Place hard-boiled eggs in a large bowl.
- Slice each egg in half lengthwise.
- Remove the egg yolk halves from each egg half.
- Place egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl, 2 quart or larger.
- Arrange egg halves on a tray or plate for filling.
- Crush the yolks using a potato masher or fork.
- Add the remaining ingredients with the exception of the fresh dill.
- Blend the yolk mixture to a smooth consistency using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- If consistency seems too thick, add extra juice or mayonnaise one teaspoonful at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Spoon the yolk mixture into a piping bag which has been fitted with a large piping tip.
- Pipe the mixture into each of the egg halves, approximately 1-2 tablespoonsful.
- Garnish each egg with a bit of fresh dill, as desired.
So if you’re still reading this, I’ll give you a bit of the back story. I have a penchant for egg recipes for a couple of reasons.
- Eggs are terrific little wonders…high in protein, inexpensive, and mostly easy to prepare.
- I have a lovely flock of hens who kick it into high gear on occasion and have me looking for ways to use up those excess ova.
Which brings us to this, my first ever blogged recipe…Dilly Deviled Eggs.
As recently as four years ago I had never cooked with fresh-from-the-farm eggs. Raising our own hens and having daily access to freshly laid, usually still warm, eggs gives me more pleasure than I could have imagined. The excitement I feel when I discover that a young pullet has begun laying never ceases to give me a thrill.
My hens’ eggs are classified as “pasture-raised” since they are given daily free range time, weather permitting, and someone is available to lock them in for the night. On average, in good weather, my hens get 6-8 hours of freedom in my yard, pasture, and orchard.
Farm fresh eggs are a definite improvement in every recipe that I’ve tried. Nothing beats the creamy taste and the rich orange yolk of a fresh egg. The problem came when I attempted a simple hard-boiled egg…shelling was a nightmare as the membrane between the shell and the egg white held both together like glue! The result was a pocked, rough orb and a frustrated me.
Googling and consulting with other poulterers produced a multitude of suggestions: add something to the boiling water (salt, vinegar, baking soda), steam the eggs, try cooking in an “instant pot” (wasn’t really interested in making that purchase), heat water slowly, boil water before adding eggs, and finally immerse in cold water after boiling.
That last suggestion held the key, but it still took me several thwarted attempts to discover the magical combination. Yes indeed, it’s that icy cold water bath that did the trick…but the key was to let the eggs themselves actually become chilled. No quick dunk in cold water…let them chill. Time, my friends. No rushing allowed. Your reward is smooth, glistening eggs that seem to slip from the shells. It’s a beautiful thing.
