Deviled egg lovers rejoice…Easter is here and after the hunt households across the land will be turning those colorful orbs into delish deviled eggs.
Not too long ago my friends at South Padre Island KOA had a deviled egg contest and were kind enough to share a few of the winning recipes with me. Now I’m going to pass them along to you.
Just in case your “eggs” are the pull apart plastic variety, my gal pal – the domestic diva Martha Stewart – shared her no-fail boiled egg technique with me (and her other 2+ million “Living” readers) and I’ve found it to be nearly foolproof. She suggests:
Bring fresh eggs to room temperature. Place them in a large sauce pan and cover them with cool, generously salted water. Bring the water/eggs to a rapid boil. Cover the pot, turn stove off, and allow to sit for 12 minutes. Transfer eggs from the hot water to an ice bath. Peel under a trickle of cool water – shells should slip right off.
While everyone knows deviled eggs are delicious and are an RV park potluck staple, you may not know how the term “deviled” came about. The earliest mention of it in writing was in the 1786 Oxford English Dictionary and read: "Devil...A name for various highly-seasoned broiled or fried dishes, also for hot ingredients. 1786, Craig Lounger NO. 86 Make punch, brew negus, and season a devil.”
In the early 19th century they deviled all kinds of food including meat, fish, and even biscuits! In the late 1860’s the Underwood boys tinkered with ground ham and seasonings and poof…deviled ham and the Underwood Devil.
Another interesting piece of trivia I discovered is the use of the terms "salad eggs" or "dressed eggs" in the South and Midwest to describe these potluck or covered dish standbys - particularly when the dish is served in connection with a church function presumably to avoid dignifying the word "deviled".
Fast forward to 2010 and the terrific South Padre Island KOA Deviled Egg Contest…
RVer Pat Dahl took first place with this tasty concoction:
1 dozen eggs, hard boiled
Cut in half and remove hard yolks to a mixing bowl. Mash with a fork and blend in:
1 c mayonnaise (appx)
1 T mustard
1 t vinegar
1 ½ T dried minced onion
1 T dried minced garlic
1 T dill pickle juice
½ t garlic powder
Before stuffing egg whites, cover the bottom of each egg half with real bacon bits. Stuff and garnish with sliced green olives.
Second place went to RVer Mary Freiberg’s Beautiful Island Festive Deviled Eggs:
18 eggs, hard boiled
Place peeled eggs in a plastic bag and add:
1 can sliced beets
2 T pickling spices
½ c tarragon flavored vinegar
Allow to marinate in the fridge for 2 days.
Cut in half and remove hard yolks to a mixing bowl. Mash with a fork and blend in:
1 t yellow mustard
3 T mayonnaise
1 t sea slat
1 T tarragon flavored vinegar
Stuff mixture into egg whites and garnish with cracked pepper and slim slice of beet (curved) and cilantro leaves.
Third place was captured by RVer Betty Buol:
1 dozen eggs, hard boiled
Cut in half and remove hard yolks to a mixing bowl. Mash with a fork and blend in:
12 eggs
½ c mayonnaise
½ t balsamic vinegar
2 t sugar
¼ t celery salt
2 T grated onion
4 strips of crisp bacon, chopped
dash of pepper
Stuff egg whites and enjoy!
Martha has a couple other tips including how to get a clean cut when halving eggs – use a sharp paring knife and wet the blade between cuts – and a taste tip for extra rich and delicious yokes – add a ½ t melted butter.
As for me, I never forget the paprika – both in the yolk mixture and sprinkled atop for color. Bonus for your taste buds if it’s smoked paprika (like we used in the RV Cooking Show episode featuring amazing panini burgers at Theo Roosevelt National Park)!
Check out all of the fantastic looking deviled eggs on the South Padre Island KOA video below (and look for other fun vids on their channel, too). They’re also on Facebook and, of course, Twitter. If you stop by – virtually or in person – tell the terrific Stacie hi for me…she’s a real good egg!!
Do you have a winning deviled egg recipe? Share it by leaving a comment below.
Here's to an egg-cellent springtime,
Evanne
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