Deviled eggs are also known as dressed eggs, stuffed eggs, or Russian eggs. They are hard-boiled chicken eggs that were shelled, cut in half, and filled with a paste that is made from the egg yolks, mixed with other ingredients, including mustard and mayonnaise. Deviled eggs are usually served cold as an appetizer, side dish, and as well as main course, often for parties and holidays.
The origins of deviled eggs can be seen in recipes for boiled, seasoned eggs as far back as ancient Rome. During those times, they were served traditionally as a first course. In the 18th century, the term “deviled”, in reference to food, was in use, and its first known print reference appeared in 1786. It was used most often with spicy or zesty food in the 19th century. These include eggs prepared with mustard, pepper, and other ingredients stuffed in the yolk cavity.
Deviled eggs are a very popular dish in North America and Europe. But in some parts of the Southern and Midwestern United States, the terms “dressed eggs”, “stuffed eggs”, and “salad eggs” were used instead. Aside from those, the term “angel eggs” has also been used in connection with fillings with less fat and cholesterol.
Deviled eggs are ingenious, and they are one of the easiest appetizers or snacks that you can make. If you are aiming to make the perfect deviled eggs, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we are giving you a guide on how you can make the perfect deviled eggs.
Tips for Making the Perfect Deviled Eggs
Here are some of the best tips we can share to be able to make the perfect deviled eggs:
Make excellent hard-boiled eggs to create the perfect deviled eggs.
Making deviled eggs starts with hard-boiled eggs. If you want to make the perfect deviled eggs, you need to create excellent hard-boiled eggs. One of the tips we can give is to cover the eggs with water, bring the water to a boil, and then let the eggs sit in the boiling water for about 10 minutes. This method will make the whites firm but still tender, and the yolks will be set, but they will still be creamy.
Use cold water to cover eggs, not hot
When cooking hard-boiled eggs, it is important that the temperature of these eggs rise slowly to avoid shells cracking and to allow for better good. So, start with cold water to cover the eggs so that the temperature rises gradually to boiling.
Wider saucepans, all the way
By using a wider saucepan with a lid, you can set down all the eggs in one layer and this is super important when cooking hard boiled eggs. Many recipes call for 6 eggs to be placed in one layer in the saucepan, so a medium-sized saucepan would work very well. If you are looking to add more, then a large sized one would serve you well too.
Keep the filling of your deviled eggs simple.
Deviled eggs are appealing because they are very simple. In fact, you don’t need much to make a great deviled egg. You can simply use a generous spoonful of mayo and a dollop of mustard mixed into the yolks. Mayo can make the creamy yolk even creamier and decadent. The yellow mustard, on the other hand, tames the richness of the yolk.
Go for less fresh eggs
This might sound contradictory to many tips you see for different types of recipes. However, for making the perfect deviled eggs, we suggest that you go for eggs that are less fresh which means that these eggs are closer to the expiration date. The reason behind this is that such eggs are easier peel and can make or break your venture of making deviled eggs.
Don’t Overcook
This is the basic tip that you will come across in every recipe out there. Avoid overcooking the hard-boiled eggs because the yolks will adopt a grayish color and will have a sulfurous odor which is not appetizing and has a very bad smell to it.
Use a bag to put the filling in the boiled eggs.
One of the tricky parts of making deviled eggs is filling them. Well, you can use a spoon, but it’s better to use a bag to pipe the filling. It is neater and easier. In fact, you don’t need to use an actual piping bag. You can just use a plastic bag and squeeze the filling into a corner and snip off that corner. This will give you party-worthy deviled eggs without the hassle.
Cut the Eggs Horizontally
The general tendency is to cut the eggs vertically or sideways. However, many chefs recommend that the egg should be cut horizontally. This is because an egg cut vertically or sideways will not allow it to be consumed in one bite and it cannot sit up right once filled. So, in order to resolve this, you can cut the eggs horizontally while slicing off the ends of the egg to make it sit upright.
Add texture inside and out.
Even if you cooked the eggs perfectly, with a firm but delicate white, and an airy and rich filling, deviled eggs are still soft and homogenous. Therefore, you can also add some texture and virtual interest to it. Some of the best ingredients you can add, to make them chewier, are bacon and other cured meats. You can also mix them with chervil and chive if you want. Aside from that, you can also incorporate them with finely diced potato, onion, and apple.
Try to experiment with deviled eggs.
If you get tired of the classic way of making deviled eggs, you can also do some experiments. You can add other ingredients to your deviled eggs, such as minced fine herbs, or homemade green mayo with pounder basil, tarragon, watercress, or dill. This can help add craft and flavor to the egg.
Use Whipped Cream
Using whipped cream in your deviled eggs might sound weird, but hear us out, it is a solid tip. Once you have processed the egg yolks and worked out lumps with the mayonnaise or aioli, you can add some whipped cream to this mixture. The whipped cream will act to smoothen out the seasonings and aerate the deviled eggs, pushing them one more step towards perfect.
How to serve and store deviled eggs.
You should only peel the egg white shells when you intend to serve them. You can make hard-boiled eggs and peel them up to one day in advance. Just make sure that you keep them in the refrigerator. For the filling, you can also create it up to one day ahead, but you need to store it in a piping bag or in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed on the surface in the refrigerator.
What to do with the ugly eggs?
If it’s your first time to make deviled eggs, you will probably encounter mangled egg whites after some failed peeling attempts. You can also break a white with an over-exaggerated peeling technique. But don’t worry because those eggs won’t go to waste. You can use them in other ways, such as in making egg salads. Aside from that, you can also eat them with salt and pepper, slice and add them to a Chef’s Salad, or just save them for a portable breakfast.
Conclusion
Deviled eggs are indeed very easy to make, and they are delicious snacks and appetizers, too. If you are looking for more ways on how to make deviled eggs, you can check out our Bacon Deviled Eggs recipe for a more unique way of making this tasty snack. We hope the information we shared will help you in making the perfect deviled eggs.