Devil May Care

I was surprised, after some rummaging among past posts, to find that I have never before written about deviled eggs, as there is very nearly nothing I like more. I was even more surprised to find that I had a bit to learn on the subject, since I thought the case was, for me, closed.

I knew that there were various French variations on stuffed eggs, which included asparagus, or shrimp, and the like. That was fine with me, and these were mostly very nice, but could not hold a candle to the classic: Hard-boiled egg white halves, stuffed with a mixture of mashed yolk, English mustard, mayo, salt and pepper, and, finally, sprinkled with some paprika, smoked Spanish or regular, or maybe, if I was feeling a little extra was called for, ground chipotle. No pickle juice here. End of story.

I was therefore disconcerted to discover, in the Sunday NYTimes Men's Fashion Supplement*, a recipe for stuffed eggs Caeser salad style, which is a worthy alternate. I was also surprised to learn, courtesy of Jacques Pepin, that a few minutes upside down in a frying pan can have an amazing, and praise-worthy effect on a deviled egg . A caveat: the new egg recipe is not for anchovy haters- nor is the Caeser salad itself, for that matter. And, a happy happenstance: the Caeser eggs are particularly suited to the Pepin effect.

Even if you are as stuck on the classic as I have been, you may want to try these both ways. Nearly as simple as the original, and that is a plus, in my book. The cold ones are great with whiskey or gin drinks, and the warm ones make a nice sit-down first course, or a lunch.

This is how you make the basic Caeser egg, as amended by me (I don't like the idea of coming upon a bit of chopped raw garlic while nibbling my egg.):

12 hard-boiled eggs
2 Tbsps Olive oil
2 tsps lemon juice
1 tsp anchovy paste
dash Worchestershire
salt and pepper
paprika
garlic clove, split

Rub the garlic clove over the interior of a small to medium bowl. Cut eggs in half, and add the yolks and all the other ingredients, except paprika, into the bowl. Mash thoroughly, and stuff halved whites. Sprinkle with paprika and display cunningly on your depression glass dish or in Tupperware...they will all be eaten, either way.

Now, with your regular deviled eggs, or your Caeser eggs, you can make a sort of deconstructed Caeser salad. Dress some romaine with a little bit of garlicy vinagrette and set it on a serving dish, or several smaller plates, with a few homemade croutons, if you are so inclined. Film the bottom of a heavy frying pan with olive oil, and heat it up. Set the eggs in the pan in a single layer, carefully, yolk side down. Cook them at a medium-low heat until the yolk is nicely caramelized and brown. Mine took 5 minutes.

Set them atop your salad, arranged prettily, and consume. They are nice without the lettuce, too, but you should still have them with a knife and fork, on a plate...unlike the cold version, which are perfect for eating out of hand , at picnics. Also, if you put two cold ones yolk to yolk, and wrap them up, they are the best ever little treat in a packed lunch.

*A strange item, no? I always read the Times style items with interest, and they are so often a source of amusement. I fear my amusement may be a symptom of my own depravity, though. How can I chuckle over a spread featuring chic modern models portraying starving depression era hobos, in mock-rags of cashmere with thousand dollar price tags? This display appeared not too long ago in a similar NYTimes style magazine.

Who was this for, and why? Has Marie Antoinette been playing milkmaid games again? Maybe someone there should take a moment to remember how she ended up.

In any event, apparently deviled eggs have become fashionable, much in the manner of upscale mac and cheese. Oh well.

Comments

[Shufflocity]

Forgive yer younger brudder for injecting music into the food, but "Devil May Care" is the title of one of my favorite songs of all time.

It was written by Bob Dorough, who was/is a wonderful jazz pianist/singer. He was an incredibly clever lyricist. Check out the words to his classic "I'm Hip" (http://artists.letssingit.com/blossom-dearie-lyrics-im-hip-92sczsh)

This is a video of Diana Krall doing "Devil May Care":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G8z8LM65jM

These are the lyrics of "Devil May Care":
No cares for me
I'm happy as I can be
I learn to love and to live
Devil may care

No cares and woes
Whatever comes later goes
That's how I'll take and I'll give
Devil may care

When the day is through, I suffer no regrets
I know that he who frets, loses the night
For only a fool thinks he can hold back the dawn
He who is wise never tries to revise what's past and gone

Live, love today,
love come tomorrow what may
Don't even stop for a sigh,
it doesn't help if you cry
That's how I live and I'll die
Devil may care

[Christina]

I've just started reading your blog and so far I've been really inspired. I read Pepin's memoirs this summer as well, and was quite interested in Oeufs Jeanette. I love rustic French food with a passion. I'll have to try your Caesar eggs this week. Cheers!

[Anapestic]

I will never again make deviled eggs without bacon.

By the way, the original Caesar salad did not, DID NOT, have anchovies in it. Julia Child herself called the daughter of the inventor (Caesar somebody or other, who had since died) to ask. Subsequently, she lectured none other than J. Pepin himself as to how anchovies are inauthentic in a Caesar salad, and when he tried to sneak some into hers, she very firmly refused him. And then he decided that he liked hers better.

Personally, I am ambivalent about anchovies. I find them a delightful and essential addition to puttanesca, and one supposes that they are good in deviled eggs (though not so good as bacon), but I can otherwise easily live without them. Putting them in Caesar salad, however, is wrong. It's an error that has become pervasive, but it is all the more wrong for that.

[Kitt]

Oh, that caramelizing trick is interesting!

Me, I can't eat an anchovy plain, but mash one up or use anchovy paste in certain dishes and I couldn't be happier. It's like fish sauce. Not fishy once it's in the dish, but it adds a critical dimension.

[Zalary]

This is a test comment from TypePad Support. Please feel free to delete.

[janelle]

Heehee. I make deviled eggs a few times a year. We love the original, but I have made pesto deviled eggs and those are pretty darn good, too.

[Purley Glass]

Enjoyd the post about Devil Eggs and decided to make them last week. Only thing, they didn't last to long as all members of the family gave them the thumbs up. Pleased to see the picture of the Depression glass still being used. Collecting Depression glass is my hobby and I use a lot of these collectable items myself. Well maybe not the rare items.

[contaminated soil]

Hi,
Good post. I am ambivalent about anchovies. I find them a delightful and essential addition to puttanesca, and one supposes that they are good in deviled eggs.

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