There are 8 million recipes out there right now for deviled eggs.
And you’re about to get one more.
It’s sort of obvious to talk about deviled eggs in the month of April, since everyone is coloring them and hiding them and stuff.
In the small town where I grew up, Easter was a big deal. It involved ham and scalloped potatoes and asparagus and lots of cousins to play outdoor games with, and homemade pies and strawberry tarts and plenty of chocolate.
We always hunted for our pastel colored eggs at home early in the morning before the guests arrived and it was a mad dash to get the most. Not that this mattered, because all eggs were meant to be surrendered for their next appearance as deviled eggs or egg salad to eat later.
After the hunt there was either a big family buffet, or a trip to The Nugget for their annual spread – a revelation of carved meats and hot and cold side dishes. The crown jewel of this feast was a giant dessert table with lemon pies swirled with meringue, cream puffs and custards, or make your own hot fudge sundaes.
It was almost more fun than a little kid could handle.
So what makes this deviled egg different?
In a word, candied bacon and fresh dill. That’s actually five words.
Whizzing the ingredients together and piping them into the egg is mildly impressive too, and requires no special technique beyond a plastic bag.
Suffice to say I took these to a barbecue about 5 years ago, and people still ask about them.
This recipe is the perfect combination of spring flavors and I had to share it with you, because it’s a keeper.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- 4 strips of good quality bacon I use thick cut applewood smoked
- 8 large eggs
- 1/4-1/2 cup mayonnaise start with 1/4 cup and use a bit more depending on your taste, and also if the mixture
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard Maille is my favorite
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper or freshly ground pepper
- 2 scallions minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
- paprika for garnish before serving
Instructions
- COOK THE BACON
- Heat oven to 350 degrees
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, a pinch of cayenne and the cinnamon. Place the bacon on a baking sheet and using half the mixture, sprinkle some of the spiced brown sugar over each slice of bacon. Bake for 10-15 minutes, turn bacon and sprinkle remaining spiced brown sugar and continue to bake until crispy. This can take up to 30 minutes or more depending on your oven.
- Remove from oven and allow to completely cool (tip: don't drain on paper towels, it will stick.)
- Once cooled, cut into small pieces and set aside.
- PREPARE THE EGGS
- Place the cold eggs in the bottom of a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a full boil, and let it boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover the pan with a lid, letting the eggs sit for 12 minutes. They will continue to cook as they sit in the pan of hot water.
- Drain the eggs and place in a pan of cold water for a few minutes and then peel them while warm. After they are peeled, store them in a covered container in the fridge until ready to use.
- MAKE THE MAYO MIXTURE
- Mix together the mayo, mustard, dill, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and lemon pepper and scallions in a medium mixing bowl, and season with the salt.
- Note: I used a food processor to mix the filling, but you could also mash the ingredients with a fork.
- Slice the eggs in half with a sharp knife, gently removing the yolk. Add the yolk to the bowl or processor with the mayo mixture and one tablespoon of the minced bacon, and mix together until smooth.
- Place the filling a large (gallon) plastic bag. I set the bag inside a tall glass with a wide top, which makes it easier to spoon the mixture into the bag. Twist the top of the bag and cut a small hole off the end and pipe the filling into the egg whites.
- Sprinkle with the remaining minced candied bacon, some more fresh dill and a light dusting of paprika to serve.
Source: Studio Delicious, adapted from The Food Network
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