Monday

Retro Tea: Deviled Eggs

Back in March, I gave a recipe for how to hard boil an egg and for basic Deviled Eggs. There is so much more you can do with a Deviled Egg though. Extra ingredients, toppings, garnishes are all ways to jazz up your eggs.

Start with the basic recipe, add:
Anchovy paste
Pickle, dill or sweet
Wasabi
Olives
Celery
Bacon
Avocado
Blue cheese
Tabasco
Pickled jalapenos
Parmesan cheese
Pesto
Spinach
Basil
Dill
Ranch dressing
Sour cream
Horseradish

Or top with:
Caviar
Crab
Lobster
Anchovy slices
Sliced olives with pimento
Baby shrimp
Green onion
Red pepper
Chives
Parsley leaves
Cayenne
Radish slivers

Some fun combinations:
Lime juice and ground Chipotle powder
Tarragon and capers
Sour cream, cumin, salsa, cilantro
Soy sauce and ginger
Salmon, green pepper and curry powder
Dried apricots, heavy cream and curry powder
Feta cheese, black olives and mint
Olive oil instead of mayo, parsley, grated garlic
Finely chopped pecans
Tarragon and honey mustard
Red apple, celery, pecans, honey, lime juice

You don’t need to use only the traditional shape for deviled eggs either. Try:
Cutting through the middle of the egg; slice off a piece on the bottom so they stay upright
Cutting diagonally
Using a large serrated chopper to cut through the eggs leaving ruffles

And finally, since eggs are not only a tea party treat but also a great picnic food, transport them easily without a special deviled egg carrier. Take the eggs and the filling separately to the picnic. Mix up the filling and put it in a zip lock bag. When you get to the party, snip off a corner of the plastic bag and squeeze the filling in the eggs.