Those Pesky Deviled Eggs

Wishing Y'all a very Happy Easter and....

it's time to get your Deviled Egg Plates out!   

Such a Southern thing...the Deviled Egg plate!!   

My first plate on the left was acquired from Replacements, LTD.   in Greensboro, NC.   

My second plate was acquired  from the  Colombia Restaurant in St. Augustine, FL.   

I have been trying for 30 plus years to boil an egg and then remove the shell without destroying the little bugger!   I have tried everything....and I mean everything.  Using new eggs didn't appear to help.   Using old eggs didn't produce anything successful.  Soaking eggs overnight in water was a failure.    Then it occurred to me that I might want to change the procedure I was using.    In the past, I always added the eggs to salted COLD WATER.   Also, added vinegar to prevent eggs from "leaking" while cooking.  Still, I couldn't peel the eggs with any success.  So frustrating.  

Then it occurred to me that maybe my method was in error and not the actual egg itself.  Let's try something different.     Why not try having the water to a ROLLING BOIL BEFORE adding the eggs.  So..I begin with my water level  to cover completely the eggs.   Add a tablespoon salt and a splash of vinegar.   The water is "on the boil" and with my spider, (an essential cooking utensil), I lower the eggs into the boiling water.   So far...I have found that six minutes is perfect for soft boiled eggs and 12 to 14 minutes is perfect for hard boiled. When your time has arrived....immediately plunge the eggs in ICE WATER BATH to stop the cooking process. This prevents that green ring that appears around the yolk. 

Now...to the best part....no matter what egg I use...I can immediately peel the eggs....and the shell slips off without tearing the egg white.   It is a miracle! 

And NOW on the the best deviled egg recipe that I have ever enjoyed...the secret...adding butter to the egg mixture.   It really helps "gel" the egg mixture after refrigerating.  

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Deviled Eggs

Appetizers

12 lg eggs; hard boiled & peeled
1/3 c Kraft mayonnaise
2 tb butter; room temp
1 tb Coleman's dry mustard
  pinch of cayenne pepper
  salt & white pepper; to taste
2 tb tarragon; fine chop

Place eggs in ice bath to stop cooking.   Immediately, crack eggs and return to the ice bath to continue cooling. Once the eggs have cooled, remove the shells under running water.  Peel, starting at the large end.  This helps to removes any stray shell fragments.

For the filling:  Halve the peeled eggs lengthwise. Carefully remove the yolks. Set the whites aside. Pass the yolks through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or place them in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with  the metal blade. Blend the yolks, mayonnaise, butter, mustard, and cayenne, and mix until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Add the finely chopped tarragon.

Place the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip or use a medium sealable plastic bag with one corner snipped off. 

To assemble the eggs, when ready to serve, pipe the yolk mixture into the whites. Garnish with additional herbs, chill until serving.

Notes:   ©   http://www.virginiawillis.com      Thanks Virginia...I have made a few additions to your original recipe! 

Yield: 12 servings--maybe six for a good olé boys suthern picnic! 


** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

Chilled and READY to enjoy!  

Bon Appétit

and 

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Chicken And Corn Chowder

Spring hasn't arrived but this soup will fit the bill for a cool spring or fall evening.   The original recipe features other ingredients, but I tailored the soup for our taste.  At the very last minute, I added dried tarragon...since I love tarragon with chicken.   To accompany this luscious chowder, I made a batch of Flower Pot Dinner Rolls.  

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Chicken And Corn Chowder

Poultry, Soups

3 strips bacon; chopped

1 1/2 cups onion; diced

1 1/2 cups celery; diced

4 garlic cloves; minced

2 cups Yukon gold potatoes; diced

3 cups corn kernels; fresh or frozen

6 cups chicken stock

14.5 oz diced tomatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 pound chicken; cooked, shredded

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sliced scallions; for garnish

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, brown bacon. Remove from grease, drain,

and set aside. Transfer onion, celery, and garlic to pot and saute for 3 to

4 minutes. Add potatoes and corn and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes,

stirring regularly.

Add chicken stock, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and basil to pot and bring to a

boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes

are tender.

Transfer half of the mixture to a blender or the bowl of a food processor

and process until smooth. If you want a little thicker soup, add two

tablespoons flour to the blender before adding the mixture. Return to pot

and heat until the flour thickens.

Add chicken and cream and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are done.

Adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with reserved bacon and scallions.

Notes:  ©WHStoneman

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.92 **

Flower Pot Dinner Rolls