The MOM 100 Blog
Deviled Eggs
by Katie Workman • September 15, 2011 Makes 24 Stuffed Halves
What a fine and cheery little appetizer deviled eggs are. Sunny yolks are blended up with either the simplest of seasonings, or infused with any number of flavors. They look fun, they taste fun, they are easy to make, and I don’t care how sophisticated you are, you want one and you know it.
Right now our country seems to be chest deep into a love affair with chipotle peppers. Granted too much of anything is too much, but from the fanciest restaurants to the eponymous Mexican food chain, the smoky flavor of chipotle peppers is certainly enjoying its moment in the sun. The peppers can be used dried or fresh, and are very readily found canned in adobo sauce. Dump the contents of a can into a mini food processor, whirl it up, and place the contents into a plastic container with a lid and put it in the fridge. You now have a one-stop-shopping ingredient that can transform dishes into little parties. And it keeps for months.
It’s very easy to control the heat that infuses this puree; a little gives dishes a gentle lift, while more makes things spicy. You can put the two versions of these deviled eggs on two different plates, or garnish the spicier ones with a cilantro leaf to signal that these pack a bit of a wallop. If you want to make the whole batch spicy, double the amount of the chipotle paste, garlic powder, and scallions and blend up all the yolks with all of the seasonings.
1 dozen hard-boiled large eggs, peeled (see Note)
2 to 3 teaspoons pureed canned chipotle in adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup minced scallions
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika, plus more for sprinkling
Cilantro leaves to garnish (optional)
- Slice the eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks, placing them in a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl with a fork blend together 2 teaspoons of the pureed chipotles, garlic powder and scallions. Set aside.
- Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, pepper and paprika to the yolks, and use a fork to blend well, smashing up the yolks until the mixture is creamy. Fill half of the hard-boiled egg whites with a tablespoon of the yolk mixture (or use a pastry bag to pipe in the filling).
- Add the chipotle mixture to the rest of the yolk mixture and stir to blend well. Taste and add more chipotle puree if you like a hotter mixture. Fill the rest of the egg whites with tablespoons of the chipotle filling. Lightly cover the eggs with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 8 hours. Sprinkle with additional paprika and garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired, just before serving.
Originally published on KitchenDaily
Note:
For perfect hard-boiled eggs -- without that unattractive circle of green around the yolk -- gently place the eggs in the bottom of a large saucepan. Fill the pot with water to cover the eggs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the temperature to medium, and simmer the eggs for one minute. Then remove the pot from the heat, and let stand with the pot covered for 10 minutes. Immediately drain the hot water, fill the pot with cool water, and let sit. Change the water every two minutes or so, as the water warms up from the hot eggs. After about three changes of water, drain the eggs and let cool. Peel them.
