If I had to choose a favorite food, it'd probably be the egg.
At home, I scramble them gently in butter and fold in soft goat cheese when the eggs are almost set for a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner. My husband is an ace at making omelets. Soft-boiled eggs are a dream on a big salad.
My favorite way to eat my favorite food is fried, with edges that have crisped to brown lace and whites that have fluffed up while the yolk remains warm and runny.
And the most indulgent? A deviled egg. It's also fun to make. That is, if you can get past peeling the boiled eggs.
After many rounds of making deviled eggs with a cold start to the boiled eggs, I turned to Google, searching for a better way. I found a post from the Pioneer Woman blog and later the Food Lab column on Serious Eats, which persuaded me to try starting the eggs in hot water. I cradled the eggs in a slotted spoon and slowly lowered them into a gently boiling pot of water. It worked much better -- suddenly, the hardest part of making deviled eggs wasn't so frustrating.
After boiling the eggs for 13 minutes, plunge them into a bowl filled with ice and water to cool them down. Once cooled, gently tap the eggs on your counter to create cracks in the peel and roll to create more. Then, peel. It helps to do this in the bowl with water.
Next, make this recipe for Deviled Eggs Benedict. These is an attention-getting version of the classic. Seasoned bread crumbs turned golden in brown butter add crunch and flavor, offsetting the lemony and fresh-tasting deviled yolk mixture. Shards of crispy prosciutto are delightful. You may want to make extra prosciutto chips since anyone hanging out near your kitchen will want to try some on their own.
MODERATE
Deviled Eggs Benedict
To make ahead, the filling and egg white halves can be stored separately and covered in the refrigerator up to overnight. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt says you'll want to lay the egg white halves cut side down on a plate and cover them with plastic wrap. Fill the eggs with the yolk mixture only right before you plan to serve.
Ingredients
2 ounces prosciutto or serrano ham, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup bread crumbs (I used panko)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
4 teaspoons juice plus ½ teaspoon zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions or chives
Preparation
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lay prosciutto on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook until it stiffens and turns golden, about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it, and know the prosciutto will continue to crisp as it cools. Let cool on a plate lined with a paper towel.
Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Keep cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter starts to brown and starts to become fragrant. Immediately stir in bread crumbs. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until bread crumbs are golden brown and crisp. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Transfer seasoned bread crumbs to a small bowl.
Place all of the yolks in a medium bowl. Add lemon juice and zest, mayonnaise and cayenne pepper to bowl. Use a whisk to mash and stir together until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer yolk filling to a zip-top plastic bag. Cut off corner of zip-top bag and pipe filling mixture into egg white halves, overstuffing the whites. Break crisped ham into chips. Garnish deviled eggs with bread crumbs, ham chips and sliced scallions. Serve immediately.
Makes 12 deviled egg halves.
Source: Adapted from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt via SeriousEats.com
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