Mastering the Art Of Deviled Eggs

Tag : Wire Strainer

There was a time when deviled eggs lived up to their name.
Despite the many impostors that parade about under the name today(whipped tofu, anyone?), deviled eggs once were a simple mash ofegg yolk and a fiery ingredient (such as cayenne or Dijon) dollopedinto a cooked egg white.
"Originally, it was supposed to mean something spicy," says DebbieMoose, the author of "Deviled Eggs: 50 Recipes from Simple toSassy." ''But now it's just a generic term for a stuffed egg."
In fact, for many years America's go-to cookbook, "Joy of Cooking,"distinguished between deviled and stuffed eggs.
It's a distinction mostly lost in today's anything-goes culinaryworld that too often produces dry, rubbery deviled eggs with goopy,flavorless (or just plain strange) yolk fillings.
If you find yourself hankering for a great deviled egg, a realdeviled egg, here's what you need to know. ??
THE EGGS
Farm-fresh eggs are fine for an omelet, but give them a pass forhard-boiling. Fresh eggs have strong membranes between the shelland the white. This makes it difficult to remove the shell withoutdamaging the white.
Eggs from the grocer should be fine, but when in doubt, age them aweek.
While older eggs make peeling easier, they will hinder your chancesof perfectly centered yolks, an essential element of an attractivedeviled egg. The older an egg, the less likely its yolk is to becentered.
Here's a workaround. Put a rubber band or tape around the eggcarton to keep it closed, then set the carton on its side in therefrigerator for 24 hours. The yolks will drift back to the center.
THE COOKING
Just about everyone agrees to start with cool water. Plunging anegg into boiling water can cause it to crack.
Most chefs then follow the method suggested by food science expertHarold McGee. In his book, "On Food and Cooking," he says eggsshould not be boiled, but rather cooked at a bubble-less simmer,roughly 180 degrees to 190 degrees.
Timing is anywhere between 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how wellcooked you want the yolk. Less time produces a dark, moist yolk;longer produces light yellow and dry yolks, McGee says.
But the American Egg Board takes a simpler approach. They suggestbringing the water and eggs to a boil, then covering and removingthe pan from the heat, allowing the eggs to cook via residual heatfor 15 minutes.
While the McGee method worked, the boil-and-walk-away method wassimpler and reliably produced firm, yet moist hard-boiled eggs.
THE COOLING, PEELING AND CUTTING
If not cooled correctly, yolks can develop an unsightly andslightly bitter gray color. To avoid this, plunge the just-cookedeggs into a bowl of ice water. The rapid temperature change alsoweakens the shell, making peeling easier.
No one wants pockmarked whites, so peeling method is key. Start bycracking the shell by gently rolling and pressing the cooled eggsover the counter. You also can lightly tap the shell with the backof a spoon.
To peel, Moose suggests starting at the larger end of the egg,which should have an air pocket under the shell. If the shell stillsticks, hold it under cold running water while peeling. Cutting theeggs is a delicate task. The goal is a smooth, clean cut that willnot damage the white. This requires a sharp knife with a thinblade. A paring knife wiped clean and dunked in cold water beforeeach cut works best.
The yolk should come out easily once the egg is halved, but if not,use a small spoon to gently scoop it. A wet paper towel or coolrunning water can be used to wipe out any crumbs.
THE FILLING
The trick with the filling is to ensure that the combination isthick enough to hold its shape, moist enough not to taste chalky,and smooth enough not to resemble egg salad.
Tradition calls for a simple blend of mayonnaise and a bit of heat.The key, according to Cook's Illustrated magazine, is to find abalance free of egg overtones. Our testing found that about 2 2/3tablespoons of mayonnaise per whole egg worked best.
For the mayonnaise, go with the real thing. Making your own iswonderful, but jarred is fine. But be sure to use real mayonnaise.Salad dressing spreads tend to be too sweet.
For the "deviling," a blend of cayenne pepper and Dijon mustardworked best. A splash of lemon juice heightened everything.
Some people swear by mashing the cooked yolks with a fork, but thiscan be tedious and leave egg salad-like lumps. Better is to pushthe yolks through a wire mesh strainer, then mix them with theother filling ingredients.
Letting the yolk mixture chill for a bit before filling the eggwhites also gives it better body.
As for the mechanics of filling, a decorator's piping bag(available at kitchen and baking shops) is essential. These bagscan be fitted with decorative tips that allow for precise andattractive filling.
Aim for about 2 ounces of filling per egg half or enough to comeabout 1/2 inch above the white. This amount should easily hold apeaked shape without tipping.