Growing up in ‘The South’ of the US, Easter meant one thing to me when I was a little girl: dressing up in a brand new spring dress, donning an Easter bonnet, finishing the look with patent leather shoes over lacey socks, and heading to church.
As I impatiently sat through the long service, my mind inevitably drifted to the fun that would be had afterwards … playing in the forest surrounding the church grounds during the annual potluck.
On these spring days, it was usually warm enough for all the church ladies to proudly spread out their delicious homemade casseroles and home-baked goodies on the long communal tables outdoors.
And each year, one of the most popular dishes was deviled eggs. Like most food in The South, these bite-sized, comforting, mayonnaise-laden delicacies are very simple and easy to make.
And although they were my favourite back then, mostly for the ease by which they could be grabbed and eaten without interrupting playtime, they still continue to be a favourite of mine to add to any spring or summertime spread, and the variations are endless.
Sometimes I stick to my mother’s recipe, and other times I like to spice it up a bit. This recipe goes great with a traditional Easter schnapps-accompanied lunch.
Curried Deviled Eggs
(serves 4)
4 Eggs
2 tbs 2 percent fat Greek yogurt
1 tbs Hellman’s mayonnaise
½ tsp mustard powder
½ tsp curry powder
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbs very finely chopped shallot
1 tsp Champagne vinegar (or other white vinegar)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Cress and Danish Læsø salt for finishing
Place the eggs, cold, into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring pot to boil with some salt added to the water. Once the water begins to boil, cover and turn off the heat, leaving the eggs for 12 minutes. Remove the eggs from the stove and pour off the hot water, allowing them to stand until cool.
Carefully peel the eggs, cut in half lengthwise and remove the yolks. Set the whites aside. (You can colour the egg whites for Easter by soaking them in food colouring mixed with water and a splash of clear vinegar.) Mash the yolk finely with a fork and add the other ingredients.
Fill the mixture back into the egg whites and garnish with cress and læsø salt.
Mom’s Deviled Eggs
(serves 4)
4 Eggs
2 tbs Hellman’s Mayo
1 tbs French’s yellow mustard
2 tbs Finely chopped pickles (dill is preferred but sweet can work)
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika for finishing
Follow the previous recipe up to and including ‘Mash the yolk finely with a fork and add the other ingredients.’ Fill the mixture back into the egg whites and garnish with paprika.
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