There are many versions of deviled egg recipes out there. They differ in both ingredients and in technique. The inspiration for these Bacon Deviled Eggs came from the cookbook Bon Appetit Y'all. Not so much for the ingredients but for the technique. By just reading this recipe all of the angst I had created for myself over the making of deviled eggs seemed to disappear and simultaneously made me wonder why I had been avoiding making them. It was that simple. So for all of you who have both known and unknown reasons preventing you from making deviled eggs, let me push you to think differently.
In a heavy saucepan, a dozen large eggs are covered with cold water (the cold water should cover the eggs by an inch). After the water is brought to a boil, remove from the heat, top with a lid and allow to rest for 12 minutes. Once the twelve minutes has lapsed, drain the warm water and fill the pan with cold water to allow the eggs to cool. I don't know where I read that (or maybe made this up) by laying eggs on their sides for at least a day before making the hardboiled eggs, the ring of white will be more evenly distributed. Whether this is a myth or culinary secret, it worked. And always to remember to use eggs that you have had in your refrigerator for at least a week (versus immediately using ones you bring home from the grocery store or farmers market).
When I have made hard boiled eggs in the past I have struggled with removing the shells without removing any of the white. But I am happy to share that this will not happen anymore. Why? Well it's all in how you crack and remove the shells. First tap the egg on the counter until it is crackled all over. Then gently roll the egg in your hands to loosen the shell from the egg. You can then peel under cool running water or peel on a cutting board, rinsing the peeled egg when finished so no bits of shell remain.
The traditional way of slicing eggs for deviled eggs is slicing them lengthwise. For a chance of pace you can certainly cut them in half crosswise.
After you carefully remove the yolks, place them in a fine mesh strainer pressing with the back of a spoon until all of the egg yolks have gone through the strainer. This process makes for a much creamier filling and it is definitely not a step to skip. Remember, the devil (of these eggs) is in the details.
To the strained eggs you will add the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, white pepper, sea salt and room temperature unsalted butter. Yes, there are two tablespoons of room temperature unsalted butter in this mixture. Not only does it make for a creamier, tastier egg filling, it balances out the flavors. Once you have blended this mixture until smooth, stir in the freshly chopped herbs. Chives are my favorites as I love their mild onion taste.
You really only need two slices of a thick cut bacon fried crisp, however, you might want to fry up three slices so you can reward yourself for making these deviled eggs for your family and friends.
Using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, fill each of the egg halves. If you don't have a pastry bag or any of the pastry tips, you can always use a ziploc bag and cut one of the corners to create your own pastry bag.
Top each of the finished deviled eggs with a piece of the crispy bacon. Serve over a bed of arugula or in one of those deviled egg platters. Even though I have one of those deviled egg platters, I love the look of serving these deviled eggs sitting on a bed of arugula. And what I love even more is that I no longer think of making deviled eggs as something difficult.
Bacon Deviled Eggs (inspired by the Deviled Eggs recipe in Bon Appetit Y'all)
Ingredients
1 dozen large eggs
1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard (recommend Maille)
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
pinch of sea salt
2 Tablespoons of freshly chopped chives (or tarragon or chervil)
3 slices of thick cut bacon, fried crisp
Directions
1. Place eggs in heavy saucepan. Fill pan with cold water, covering eggs with one inch of water.
2. Bring water to a boil. Remove pan, cover and allow to sit for 12 minutes.
3. Drain eggs and place cooked eggs in a cool water bath. Allow eggs to cool completely before cutting.
4. Tap shells gently on counter all over to crackle it. Gently roll egg between your hands to loosen the shell. Peel while holding egg under running cool water.
5. Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks, placing in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl.
6. Press egg yolks through strainer.
7. Blend yolks, mayonnaise, butter, dijon mustard, white pepper and pinch of sea salt. Blend until smooth. Stir in chopped chives.
8. Place mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe yolk mixture into halves of the whites.
9. Top each finished egg with a piece of crisp bacon.
10. Serve immediately on a platter of arugula (or on deviled egg platter) or cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Sometimes our perceptions are skewed even though we might think we are seeing things clearly. Like my perception that making deviled eggs was difficult, I have had a few other perceptions that were misguided. Recently I began going to the local yoga studio. 'Doing' yoga was a first for me. After the first time I went, I wondered what and why yoga was something that didn't interest me before. Well I didn't need to spend to much time wondering because I knew why. I was making a decision about yoga based on my (mis)perceptions. Have you ever really asked yourself why you are outright rejecting or dismissing something without ever trying it? And if your answers are 'I tried it once, didn't like or enjoy it', 'been there, done that, can't do it' or 'ah it's not for me', you should ask yourself just how invested or committed you were to the 'try'. There is a reason the old adage 'all things are hard before they are easy' was created. Persistence, commitment, and the willingness to invest time and energy all play a role in how we ultimately come to view some things. It is always easier to walk away from something when it feels 'hard' or when it feels like a 'difference' we don't know how to manage.
If I stopped my attempt at running years many ago (when I couldn't get a handle on my breathing, when the inclines in the road felt steep mountain trails), I would have never run a marathon. More important, I would have never experienced the exhilaration I felt from the experience as well as the change that occurred in me as a result of the experience. The running thing did not come easy for me and it would have been easy to walk away from it (no pun intended) when it felt 'hard'. The thing is we don't really know how different our life or we can be when or if we 'give up' or 'don't try' or 'think we know'. Like the texted photo of a platter of deviled eggs, there are all sorts of tipping points out there trying to get us to shift our perceptions. We only have to be open to seeing them.
