Deviled eggs have recently become an appetizer art form in bistros, bars and even high-end restaurants. This retro appetizer or side dish is now on many menus as “starters” and prepared in many ways achieving a new upscale status. With Easter coming up soon, deviled eggs often end up on the menu of many home brunches, so we thought we’d give you some ideas for “turning up the volume” on your own deviled eggs. Most of our suggestions will enhance the flavor and nutrition, and your family and guests will be raving about these, begging you to fix them for the Memorial Day picnic!
Fix one or two of the versions, or heck, fix several and serve up an assortment of flavors. You can even set-up a deviled egg bar, fixing the basic deviled eggs, then putting toppers on the side in small bowls to let your guests pick their own. Also, check out Kathleen’s video she did from last Thanksgiving on Mermaid Deviled Eggs. She uses a few leftovers in this recipe to add to the yolk mix, and many of the dozen variations featured here would work well with leftover fish, etc.
Directions/Ingredients
- Hard-boil your eggs before you do anything so they can be cool and easy to peel. Fix as many as you want, the following recipe for the egg base mixture is for 12 hard-cooked eggs (24 deviled ones), so adjust accordingly for more or fewer eggs
- 12 hard-cooked eggs
- 1-3 Tbsp mayonnaise (start with a smaller amount and add more if you want a creamier base mixture). Note: if you don’t want to use mayonnaise, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, or use some olive oil or avocado oil.
- 1/2 Tbsp mustard (your choice on type, but Djon works well with many of the egg mixtures featured)
- 2 Tsp fresh lemon juice or 2 tsp white vinegar (your choice or when specified)
- 1 Tsp salt
- 1/2 Tsp white pepper
- Chopped parsley, chives, dill or other herb for garnish (optional, pick one to use depending on the flavor of egg mixture you use below)
- Sprinkle our Land & SEAsoning for garnish/finish (instead of Paprika)
- Cut the eggs in half and remove the yolks. Using a fork, mash the yolks with the mayonnaise (or alternative), mustard, lemon juice (or vinegar), salt, and white pepper. Work the eggs into a smooth paste. Add a little more mayonnaise (or alternative) if you want a creamier filling
- Now be creative and add any of the 12 listed variations (below) to the egg base mixture – divide the paste into two or more parts for however many flavors of eggs you are preparing.
- Once you have your final egg mixture done (using any of the following with the base mixture), spoon it into the halved hard-boiled eggs. For a more elegant effect, transfer the filling into a zip top plastic bag with a snipped corner (about 1/4″ wide), and pipe it into your eggs (or use a pastry bag with a tip). To keep the eggs from sliding around on the plate try securing each egg into place with a tiny dot of filling. You can add some parsley snips, micro greens or lettuce pieces to your plate if so desired.
A Dozen Ways to Flavor-Up Deviled Eggs
- Avocado:
Fold chopped avocado into egg mixture with a finely chopped green onion or leek, mix with fork, keep chunky. (Substitute avocado oil instead of mayonnaise for a more intense flavor.) - Tuna:
Chop up some white Albacore tuna from a medium size can, chop several Sweet Baby Gherkins pickles and add both to the egg mixture. Top with a piece of chive. - Salmon:
Grill about 5-6 oz. salmon and put a little lemon-butter dill sauce on it. Chop it up and fold into the egg mixture. (Try some cream cheese instead of mayonnaise with this.) - Mushrooms:
You can use fresh or dried mushrooms (cremini, porcini or shitake varieties would be good) – about one cup of fresh, or a half of cup dried. If you’re using dried mushrooms, soak for at least an hour, or until mushrooms are soft, before using. Squeeze out the extra liquid and pat dry. Remove stems from mushrooms and mince the caps. Heat about a Tbsp. of ghee (or butter) in a skillet on medium-high heat. Sauté 3 Tbsp finely chopped onions and the mushrooms for about 4 minutes, until onions are carmelized and mushrooms are starting to get crispy. Fold mixture into egg paste. Garnish with a piece of a fresh red pepper for color. - Prosciutto:
Take 6 slices of prosciutto and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the prosciutto until dry and crispy, about 15 minutes. Transfer the prosciutto to a plate and let cool. When it has cooled, use your fingers to break the prosciutto into small pieces. You can either mix the prosciutto pieces with the egg mixture or top each egg half with an equal amount of the prosciutto pieces. - Lobster: Stir in 8 ounces finely diced lobster meat into egg mixture. Use celery leaves as garnish, or garnish with dried seaweed or sprinkle on Furikake.
- Truffles:
Skip the mayo and instead of the lemon juice or vinegar use 1 1/2 teaspoons truffle oil. Mix in 1 tablespoon chopped jarred black truffles – top with chopped chives. - Shrimp Cocktail
Put a small amount of shrimp cocktail sauce on top of a filled deviled egg (using the base mixture with lemon vs. vinegar). Add a peeled cold cooked shrimp on top of the sauce with the base mixture. (A bag of frozen peeled shrimp de-thawed is a quick way to fix this!) - Bacon:
Fry 6-8 slices of bacon, cool, then crumble. Top egg mixture with chopped chives and crumbled cooked bacon. Or make a BLT deviled egg by adding bacon and tomatoes finely chopped into the filling, and a little arugula leaf on top. - Hummus:
Skip the mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice from the base mixture. Replace with your favorite hummus. Combine egg yolks and hummus well with a fork. Garnish. - Japanese:
Once the eggs are filled with the mixture, top with Furikake seasoning, fragrant Bonito flakes, Yuzu Kosho (a chile/citrus fruit marmalade type condiment), and pickled ginger. - Spicy Salsa:
Add one Tsp. of your favorite hot (or mild) sauce; and one Tsp. of Worcestershire sauce to the base. Taste, and if desired add more hot sauce. Top eggs with a dab of fresh salsa or a cilantro spring.
These are incredibly pretty!