They've Got The Devil In 'Em!

Hello Fellow Food Lovers,

I wanted to take a break from all the crazy experiments I've been doing and return to a childhood favorite: deviled eggs. I had made a dozen dyed easter eggs and came back from my week long vacation unsure of what to do with them. At first, I just ate them as hard-boiled eggs on my way to class in the morning. But then I got a craving, an itch that just couldn't be scratched for something more--more flavor, more texture...and what better than deviled eggs!

I am often surprised how many of my friends have either never heard of or never tried deviled eggs. These are a family favorite for me and so I've grown up with them since the beginning of time. It was always an Easter ritual to make and eat deviled eggs. They are so easy and simple that they can become your next family favorite as well!

All you need is:

Mayonnaise
Mustard
Pickle juice (just from your regular jar of pickles) and/or caper juice
Eggs
Paprika (optional but necessary in my view)
Salt and pepper
Capers (optional, but again adds a nice touch)

Now there are many different stories about how deviled eggs got their name, but the story I found the most popular is that an englishman, William Underwood, set up a small condiment business on Boston's Russian Wharf in 1822. At this condiment and spice shop, they had one spice called the "red devil" which was a seasoning process to use on various meats. To be "deviled" then meant that it had to have some sort of spicy kick to it, using something like dijon mustard, hot sauce, or cayenne peppers. This deviling process was than patented and trademarked by Underwood's company in 1870 and is officially the oldest food trademark still in use in the United States!

Deviling has now taken many different forms and variations, and deviled eggs are made with many different recipes. But I've had my fair share of deviled eggs and to this day I like this recipe the best.

First, you want to hard-boil the eggs. My general rule is put the eggs into the pot before it starts boiling, and then let them boil for about 7-8 minutes.

Now comes the tedious part of it. Peel each hard-boiled egg and cut in half length wise. If you're lucky, maybe a friend will do this part for you : )  Scoop the yolk out of each half, either with a spoon or just by bending the egg white back a bit (like getting an ice cube out of a plastic tray).

Once you've gotten all of the yolks out into a bowl, grab your mustard and mayonnaise. The mayonnaise is used for its fat content, which gives the yolks a fluffy texture. This time I used about 8 eggs total, so that ends up being 16 deviled eggs. Thus, for 8 eggs, I used about two large spoonfuls of mayonnaise. Next, I added a little less than one large spoonful of mustard. I used yellow mustard here but for more of a kick you can use dijon mustard. I apologize for these rough estimates but I've never measured out this recipe, and generally do it based on texture and taste.

Now comes my favorite part. I usually like to add about 3-4 large spoonfuls of pickle juice, or about 2 large spoonfuls of caper juice (the caper juice is much more concentrated). This helps add a salty vinegary taste to the deviled eggs, which is my favorite part about them. Then add salt and pepper to the desired taste. Keep mixing all of this together with a spoon or fork until the eggs look fluffy, and have the taste you desire. (I usually go for the most vinegary taste I can get without it making me cough. You also want to make sure you're not adding too much liquid, as that will make the yolks lose their fluffiness). If you add too much liquid, don't worry, you can add some mayonnaise and mustard to help it absorb.

Now take the mixture you've made and scoop the yolk back into the halved egg whites until they form little mounds. Sprinkle some paprika on each and top with a caper or olive. And then you're done! The whole process, including hard-boiling the eggs, takes about 1 hour. And they'll be gone in about 5 minutes. You'd be amazed how many you can eat!

Alright now its your turn to try! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to comment!

Love & Doughnuts,

The Mrakulous Kitchen