The Deviled Egg Returns — the Ultimate Gemperle Retro Appetizer
Just recently I met my nephew Kevin, one of the Gemperle grandkids, a twenty something Silicon Valley entrepreneur for dinner in a trendy San Francisco eatery. It had been over a year since I had last seen Kevin. I still hold dear memories of him from my own twenties when he would plow through the house like a tornado while asking questions after question of “Why this?” or “Why that?” A curious little devil he was, which brings me to the topic of deviled eggs! So we are reviewing the menu and Kevin says “I’ve had the deviled eggs on the menu and they are really good! Why don’t we get an order of those for an appetizer?” My first thought was that I had not had deviled eggs since my potluck days as a teenager, when my mom used fresh Gemperle Farms eggs. “Sure, why not.”
Those deviled eggs were absolutely wonderful, creamy filling, with just the right amount of saltiness, firmness – pure egg goodness.
After that dining experience, which included a dish of buttermilk fried chicken, I decided to experiment with my newly found, retro egg dish – the deviled egg. In fact, I became ultra-focused trying different versions of that age old concoction of deviled eggs. I encourage you to try some of these interesting versions to surprise your family or your guests.
The most important step in making deviled eggs is learning how to make the perfect hard cooked egg.
Perfect hard cook eggs: First of all, choose eggs that are 1-2 weeks old. You can check the date on the carton. They will be much easier to peel due to the larger air sack in the egg. In a saucepan, cover the eggs with cold water at least one inch above the eggs and bring to a full boil. Put a lid on the pan and remove from heat. Let the eggs stand in the hot water for 12-15 minutes. Remove the eggs to an ice bath and let cool. Now you have the perfect easy to peel eggs for your egg recipe.
The Basic Deviled Egg Recipe
Ingredients:
12 eggs
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions
Peel the hard-cooked eggs, and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to a small bowl. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise. Stir in mustard and vinegar. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture and refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle a bit of paprika on top or a few chopped chives.
Creative Version of the Basic Recipe
Curried Deviled Eggs: Omit mustard and mix in and 1/2 teaspoon curry powder into egg yolk mixture. Garnish with roasted almonds, yellow raisins, cashews or dry-roasted peanuts.
Bacon-Cheddar Deviled Eggs: Used spicy mustard. Mix in 5 slices crisp chopped bacon and 3 Tablespoons cheddar cheese, grated finely.
Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs: Omit mustard. Mix 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese into yolk mixture. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.
Fresh Herb Deviled Eggs: Mix 2 teaspoon each chopped fresh chives, Italian parsley and dill into egg yolk mixture. Garnish with fresh herbs on top.
Wasabi Deviled Eggs: Omit mustard. Mix 2 teaspoon wasabi paste and 2 teaspoon milk into egg yolk mixture. Garnish with thin slices of pickled ginger, wasabi peas and sesame seeds.
Veggie and Ham Deviled Eggs: Mix in 2 tablespoon each of finely chopped green bell pepper, red bell pepper and cooked ham into egg yolk mixture. Garnish with chopped red peppers or chives.
Horse Radish Deviled Eggs: Mix in ½ cup finely shredded cheese, 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish into egg yolk mixture. Garnish with additional cheese or parsley.
Cream cheese and Chive: Mix in a package of softened cream cheese and a quarter of a cup of chives. Garnish with chopped bacon pieces.
For more great Gemperle egg facts and recipes and family lore visit the Gemperle Farms website at www.gemperle.com.
