What’s up with the Devil and Eggs?

pulled from the pages of the March 2016 issue of Simply Family Magazine, check out the digital edition, here! 

Devil--a culinary term that means to cook with fiery hot spices. The term was presumably adopted in the kitchen because of the connection between the devil and the excessive heat in you-know-where.

When my kids were young, their eyes would widen as they wrinkled their noses when offered, “Deviled eggs”. In trying to understand this reaction, I realized that my youngsters had learned, along with everyone else, to see the devil as evil. So why would they want to eat evil eggs? (Kids usually make a lot of sense!)

I changed the name to “Sainted eggs” making them an immediate culinary hit. Here’s my recipe for the ultimate Sainted Eggs, which incidentally, are not fiery hot or spicy.

Steps to hard-boil eggs: 

1. Gently place your eggs  (I used Jumbo size eggs) in a saucepan adding room temperature tap water until eggs are covered.
2. Bring eggs to a boil on stove then cover with a lid and turn off the stove.
3. Set timer for 8 minutes. (Adjust the time if you are using small or medium eggs—they will cook sooner).
4. Run cold water over the eggs in the pan until cool enough to handle.

Note: My recipe is for 6 eggs that make 1 dozen sainted egg halves.

Tips for losing the shell: Gently strike the broad end of the egg on a hard surface, to crack the egg. Try not to shatter the egg, as large pieces of shell are easier to peel off than tiny shards.

Note: New eggs don’t peel well. Old eggs peel best. Organic eggs tend to peel better than conventional eggs.

Next: Slice each egg lengthwise. Gently squeeze each half to drop the cooked yellow yolk into your small mixing bowl. Put the egg white halves on a paper towel to rest while you make the seasoned filling.

The filling: Mash egg yolks with a fork. Add 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise or sour cream, dash of salt, dash of freshly ground pepper, shake of Franks Hot Sauce, ½ teaspoon French’s yellow mustard, ½ teaspoon dill pickle relish, dash of onion powder, dash of garlic powder. Mix well. Mixture should be creamy, zesty, and delicious!

Finish by placing a nice dollop of egg filling into each halve of the egg white. Sprinkle with a little Paprika, and place on serving plate. Garnish with dill pickle slices.

Sainted eggs are so perfect year round for everyday meals at home as well as special occasion buffet parties. Inexpensive, easy, and always a crowd pleaser!

About the author...Carole Davenport is a MT native, photographer, and content specialist; ITWPA member and author of Divine View Traveler. She and her two daughters enjoy combining their talents at Bitterroot Fresh, a soon-to-be-released cookbook of their original recipes and photographs.