The above photos are from
https://www.seriouseats.com/great-deviled-eggs-variations-and-hacks
You may find it interesting that the ancient Romans actually began the deviled egg tradition. In Rome eggs were boiled and slathered with various spicy sauces. They eggs were served as an appetizer and usually served at the homes of wealthy citizens who could afford the eggs and the cooks to prepare them. Wealthy Romans had a saying for the starting a meal with eggs called “ab ova usque ad mala” meaning ‘from eggs to apples’. It meant the host could entertain with the best.
There is a reference to deviled eggs in a real old book titled ‘Satyricon’ where a wealthy Roman citizen throws a feast. The book states, “The meat of songbirds is marinated in peppered egg yolk and stuffed into the white part of boiled peahen eggs.”
In the 1200’s stuffed eggs began to appear in the south Andalusian regions of Spain. A cookbook from this era suggests grinding boiled egg yolks with cilantro, onion juice, pepper and coriander with a fermented fish sauce. 200 years later similar recipes were common across much of Europe.
The term ‘deviled’ first appears in 1786 Oxford English Dictionary used to describe dishes that included foods with very hot or spicy ingredients or foods that were boiled or fried. The original deviled eggs in the US were boiled and could be prepared spicy and the name stuck. It wasn’t until the late 1800’s that we started seeing deviled eggs that resemble the modern looking version.
In 1896, the Fannie Farmer cookbook was used by The Boston Cooking School. It was the first to mention using mayonnaise as a way to bind crushed yolks together which eventually led to today’s classic recipe that calls for mayo, mustard, and paprika.
Looking for great variations? Consider things like bacon, Sriracha, Kimchi, crab meat, salmon or dill relish as additions that can perk up your deviled eggs.
above photo from: https://www.theflavorbender.com/miso-ramen-asian-deviled-eggs/
At home my ‘go to’ deviled egg recipe is something I call “simple eggs”. I boil a dozen eggs at a time and then put them back in the carton so there are always hard boiled eggs in the fridge. In the morning when I desire a quick ‘simple egg’ I peel one, cut it in two and wipe a little relish and mayo onto each half. Next I top it off with a small squirt of mustard and pop it in my mouth. Simple and easy. Sometimes I squish a couple eggs up with the same ingredients and smear it on top of a warmed English muffin which is always delicious. I have even tried adding hummus to yolks with onion, celery, relish and mustard and a little mayo sprinkled with paprika or cumin.
In 59 years of living, doctored or deviled eggs are still right up there with quality fresh ground coffee, giant micheladas, free tacos, fresh sushi, ripe fruits and warm tapioca pudding for me regarding incredible, edible satisfaction. As long as there are chickens the Dude of Food will continue to enjoy these stylish and delicious egg treats.
Lastly, I liked the following Creole Shrimp deviled egg video by AB. Check it out.
Aloha, the Dude of Food
