RECIPES: How to give hard-boiled eggs a stylish new life
What do you do with hard-boiled Easter eggs when Easter is over?
A check-in with some Atlanta chefs revealed many do just as you might: make deviled eggs and egg salad.
Although there are some straightforward deviled egg recipes out there, we found chefs exercising their creativity to turn these small bites into something quite decadent.
Dantanna’s executive chef Brad Parker adds bacon fat to the yolks to make bacon-infused deviled eggs. At Rowdy Tiger, they’re serving deviled farm eggs garnished with braised short rib and pickled radish.
And at Carson Kitchen, chef Cory Harwell makes his deviled egg filling with red onion, sour cream and chervil in addition to the traditional mayonnaise, and then garnishes the eggs with diced pancetta and a dollop of caviar.
Some chefs are making egg salad like Athens’ Heirloom Cafe chef-owner Jessica Rothacker, who rough chops eggs and mixes them with just a little bit of Duke’s mayonnaise and Dijon mustard, then adds a few teaspoons of fresh dill. And Orran Booher will serve his signature egg salad on house-made croissants, garnished with tomatoes and arugula, when Baker Dude opens near Emory this month.
But before you can cook with leftover hard-boiled eggs, you have to make hard-boiled eggs, so we checked with chefs to learn their secrets for perfectly boiled eggs and easy peeling.
Chef Kevin Gillespie prefers medium-sized eggs and removes them from the refrigerator 20 minutes before he plans to cook them. He brings a large pot of water to a rolling boil, puts the eggs into a basket and carefully lowers them into the water. The eggs cook for nine minutes, then are moved into a bowl of ice water. Because he’s not planning to dye those eggs, he shakes the eggs in the bowl of ice water to crack the shells and peels them after a minute of cooling.
“Don’t use overly fresh eggs. Eggs from the grocery store are fine. If you’re using eggs from your backyard chickens or a farmers market, keep them in the refrigerator for two weeks before you hard-boil them,” Gillespie recommended.
Chef Davis King of Biggerstaff Brewing starts his boiled eggs in a saucepan of cold water. He adds a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt, then brings the water to a boil and starts timing. After eight minutes, he plunges the eggs into a bowl of ice water, lets them cool one minute, then starts peeling.
Chef Andy Peterson of the Iberian Pig finds peeling his eggs under running water makes the job easier.
We tried all these methods and they worked fine for us. The quick ice bath and then peeling the eggs immediately was surprisingly effective, and if you peel your eggs under running water, the bits of broken shell just wash right off.
Which means that when you’re dealing with those hard-boiled, dyed Easter eggs, you’re just going to have to be more patient as you peel them. Try Peterson’s method of doing it under running water.
When it comes to food safety, the Food and Drug Administration has found that hard-boiled eggs, whether in the shell or peeled, kept refrigerated, are safe to eat within one week of cooking. And the Easter eggs you plan to eat should not be out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.
RECIPES
Try these three ideas from Atlanta chefs to turn your hard-boiled eggs into a springtime dish of asparagus and hard-boiled eggs; egg salad, or “Atlanta eggs” (a variation on Scotch eggs).
Grilled Spring Asparagus, Crumbled Hard-boiled Egg and Jamón Ibérico
“This dish is the perfect crowd-pleaser for your Easter brunch spread and offers up a rustic plate of something yum but different from the classic egg salad sandwiches, deviled eggs and eggs Benedict,” said Andy Peterson, executive chef of the Iberian Pig in Decatur.
If you have difficulty sourcing jamón Ibérico, Peterson says it’s fine to substitute prosciutto, speck, Bayonne ham or serrano ham. If your asparagus is on the thin side, you might want to increase the number of spears per serving.
- 6 spears asparagus
- Olive oil, for lightly coating asparagus, more for drizzling at end
- 2 peeled hard-boiled eggs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons Aioli (see recipe)
- 1 ounce sliced dry-cured ham, room temperature
- Parsley, for garnish
- Fresh lemon juice, for finishing
- Remove tough ends of asparagus. Lay asparagus on a baking sheet and lightly coat with oil.
- Heat dry cast-iron skillet over high heat.
- Lay asparagus in skillet and cook, turning often, until the spears have charred but still have a little bit of crunch. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Using largest holes on a box grater or a rasp grater, grate eggs into a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- When ready to serve: Spread aioli on serving plate. Top with asparagus and sprinkle with grated egg. Garnish with dry-cured ham, parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serves 1.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 746 calories (percent of calories from fat, 88), 17 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 74 grams total fat (15 grams saturated), 408 milligrams cholesterol, 322 milligrams sodium.Aioli
Peterson prefers extra-virgin olive oil in this recipe but says this richly flavored sauce would be fine made with pure olive oil instead.
- 1 garlic bulb
- 2 egg yolks
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon honey
- 2 cups olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cold water, if needed
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Peel papery outer layer of garlic bulb. Wrap bulb in foil, put it on a baking sheet or metal pie pan for ease of handling, and roast 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until garlic has softened and is lightly browned. Remove from oven, let rest until cool enough to handle, then squeeze garlic from each bulb and put into the bowl of a food processor.
- Add egg yolks, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, mustard and honey. Process until very smooth, about 1 minute. With processor running, slowly add olive oil until the sauce reaches the consistency of thick mayonnaise. Taste for seasoning and add the cold water for a thinner consistency. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 100 calories (percent of calories from fat, 98), trace protein, trace carbohydrates, trace fiber, 11 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 9 milligrams cholesterol, 1 milligram sodium.
Ole Reliable’s Egg Salad
Kevin Gillespie put this egg salad on the menu at Ole Reliable, his restaurant in the lobby of the Georgia-Pacific building. The restaurant is closed right now, but will reopen as people return to the workplace there.
Gillespie prefers Sir Kensington mayonnaise when he makes this egg salad and garnishes the open-faced sandwich with cold-smoked salmon.
This recipe makes a very loose, saucy egg salad. In our photo, the egg salad is served open-faced, garnished with cold-smoked salmon, thinly sliced celery and radishes, and bits of herbs.
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup creme fraiche
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped chervil (optional)
- 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of white pepper
- Pinch of nutritional yeast
- 6 peeled hard-boiled eggs
- In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, creme fraiche, chives, chervil (if using), tarragon, parsley, salt, white pepper and nutritional yeast. When well mixed, add eggs whole. Use a potato masher to break up the eggs, mashing until the eggs reach the consistence you prefer. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 2 1/3 cups.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/3 cup (without garnishes): 147 calories (percent of calories from fat, 71), 6 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 12 grams total fat (trace saturated), 171 milligrams cholesterol, 249 milligrams sodium.
“Atlanta” Egg
Executive chef Davis King of Biggerstaff Brewing Company created what turns out to be a healthier version of the traditional Scotch egg — no pork sausage, no frying. This recipe only makes three eggs but they are substantial and the 12 quarters will easily serve four for breakfast or at least six as an appetizer.
The dredging mixture has three components, and we recommend putting each in a pie dish to cut down on the mess. Don’t have three pie dishes? Cake pans will work just as well. We’ve included King’s preferred method for hard-boiling eggs.
- 7 eggs, divided
- Vinegar
- Salt
- 1/2 cup chopped dill
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- 2 cups panko, plus more if needed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
- Gribiche, for serving (see recipe)
- Put 4 eggs in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover by at least 1 inch. Add a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Bring water to a boil. Once water comes to a boil, cook eggs for 8 minutes.
- While eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath by filling a medium bowl with ice and adding cold water.
- When eggs have finished cooking, move them immediately into the ice bath. Let them cool 1 minute, then peel eggs and set aside. Save 1 egg for Gribiche.
- Make sausage: In a medium bowl, mix dill, chives, garlic powder, pepper, coriander and lemon zest.
- In a large bowl, break up ground chicken. Sprinkle with dill mixture and mix together thoroughly. Set aside.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil an 8-inch baking dish or cake pan.
- Break remaining 3 eggs into a pie dish and beat well. Put panko in a second pie dish. Put flour in a third pie dish.
- Divide the chicken sausage into 3 portions. Take 1 portion in the palm of your hand and make a well for the hard-boiled egg. Gently pat the sausage around the egg until it is completely covered. Dip the egg into the flour, then the beaten eggs and then the panko. Repeat the process, dredging the covered egg with flour, eggs and panko a second time. Arrange dredged egg in prepared baking dish and repeat the process with remaining sausage and remaining 2 hard-boiled eggs. Add more flour or panko to your pie dishes if needed.
- Bake eggs 15 to 20 minutes or until sausage reaches 165 degrees.
- Remove from oven and quarter each egg lengthwise. Arrange on serving platter with a bowl of Gribiche on the side and serve while the eggs are still hot. Makes 12 quarters.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per quarter: 219 calories (percent of calories from fat, 30), 16 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 136 milligrams cholesterol, 191 milligrams sodium.- 1 cup mayonnaise, preferably Duke’s
- 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
- 1 peeled hard-boiled egg, diced (reserved from the “Atlanta” Egg recipe)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped capers
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- Salt, pepper and hot sauce, to taste
- In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, pickles, egg, lemon juice, capers and garlic. Stir together, then season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce. May be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 28 calories (percent of calories from fat, 65), trace protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 2 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), 10 milligrams cholesterol, 102 milligrams sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
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