The Devil's in the Details

The term “deviled” originates in 18^th century, first recorded in 1786 in reference to any heavily seasoned food. However, the origins of deviled eggs go much further back than that. Like many things, the beginnings of deviled eggs can be traced back to Ancient Rome, where boiled eggs served with a spicy sauce was a popular dish. The phrase “ab ovo usque admala” (or “from egg to apples” in English) refers to the common dishes found in a Roman meal, which usually started with eggs and ended with a course of fruit.

The earliest known recipe for stuffed eggs appears in a text from the Andalusian region of Spain during the 13^th century. In this recipe, a mixture of egg yolks, cilantro, onion juice, peppers, and a condiment similar to Worcestershire sauce was stuffed into the hollowed-out egg whites. This idea seems to have spread throughout Medieval Europe, where hundreds of years of stuffed egg recipes were recorded. However, it wasn’t until 1896 that mayonnaise was added to the stuffing in The Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer, giving birth to the deviled eggs we know and love today.

Boiling Eggs

Though often considered to be an easy task in the kitchen, boiled eggs have a thin margin of error. It is probably fair to assume that we’ve all experienced the pitfalls of boiled eggs. Whether it’s a grey yolk, cracked shells, rubbery whites, or difficult to peel shells, there are many things that can go wrong while boiling eggs, but we’re here to help. Here are some tips to help you boil the perfect egg every time.

Age

You might think that fresh is better when using eggs. This is certainly true for recipes like meringues, cakes, or poached eggs; however, when peeling a boiled egg, you want your eggs to sit in the fridge for a few days prior. This is because the pH levels present in the egg whites increases as the egg ages. This higher pH level weakens the bond between the shell membrane and the egg white, making it easier to peel.

Egg Temperature

One of the potential issues while boiling eggs is the shell cracking prematurely. This can happen when the shell is exposed to a sudden change in temperature, like being placed in boiling water. One way to prevent this is to make sure your eggs are at room temperature before placing them in the hot water. This can be achieved in a few ways: One such way is to simply let your eggs sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before cooking. If you are a little short on time, you can place your eggs in a bowl of warm water before cooking. Finally, you can quickly dip your eggs in the pot a few times before completely submerging them in the simmering water. All three of these methods will increase the temperature of the shell slowly before cooking, reducing the chance of cracking due to a sudden increase in temperature.

Vinegar

For a shell that is easier to peel, try adding some vinegar to your water. The acidity of the vinegar will break down the calcium carbonate in the eggshells, making them softer and more flexible.

Boiling

Some people swear by adding the eggs to a pot of cold water, bringing them to a boil, then turning off the heat and allowing the eggs to sit in the hot water. However, this method does not take the material of the pot into account. Materials like cast iron will retain heat for much longer. This will hold the water at a hotter temperature for longer, meaning that your eggs can come out overcooked. We prefer to bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat before adding the eggs. This ensures a consistent cooking time every time. The low simmer of the water will also stop the eggs from bouncing on the bottom of the pan, preventing the shell from cracking prematurely. Holding the water at a simmer also prevents the eggs from overheating, which results in a rubbery white.

Cooking Time

If there’s one thing that working at a brunch restaurant taught Kinnon, it’s that people are very passionate about their eggs. Whether they like them scrambled, poached, boiled, or basted, most people will have a strong preference about the doneness of their eggs, and they WILL let you know when it’s not right. However, most people also don’t realize how thin the margin of error is with eggs. Even an extra minute of cooking can make a world of difference. This is because the proteins present in eggs are extremely heat sensitive. As they heat up, these proteins will uncurl and begin to form new bonds with one another, resulting in coagulation. The longer and hotter the eggs are cooked, the tighter the bonds created. The protein structures of whites and yolks are slightly different, meaning they begin coagulating at different temperatures (140º F-149ºF for egg whites and 158º F for egg yolks), which is why you can have a set white with a runny yolk.

This process is complicated even further when boiling eggs because you can’t see how far the coagulation process has gone until you crack it open. Here is a list of cooking times to help:

• 4-5 minutes: Cooking your eggs for 4-5 minutes will give you a soft white and a runny yolk. These eggs are perfect for an egg cup.
• 6-7 minutes: This cooking time results in an egg with a lightly set white and a runny yolk. This is our favourite addition to ramen or congee.
• 8-9 minutes: This will give you an egg with a set white and a jammy yolk. We like eating these eggs on toast.
• 10-12 minutes: Cooking your eggs this long will result in a firm white and a cooked yolk. This is what we are looking for when making deviled eggs. When hard boiling eggs, we like to have a slightly jammy center, so we usually cook ours for 10 minutes. However, if you would like your yolk cooked more, cook your eggs for 11-12 minutes.

Ice Bath

Though it may seem like a pointless step, submerging your eggs in a bowl of ice water after cooking is essential for a few reasons. The most important reason for using an ice bath for your eggs is that it stops cooking immediately. This is, of course, important to ensure you don’t overcook your egg; however, it is also important to prevent the dreaded grey ring. Though harmless and perfectly suitable to consume, it definitely takes away from the presentation. The grey ring occurs because heating an egg causes a reaction between the sulfur in egg whites and the iron in egg yolks. This reaction creates ferrous sulfide, which results in the discoloured egg. The less time the egg is heated, the less time this reaction has to occur, so halting the cooking with an ice bath reduces the chances of a grey ring in your boiled eggs.

The ice bath also makes your eggs easier to peel. This is because the egg white contracts when cooled. This causes it to pull away from the shell membrane, making it easier to separate and peel.

How to Make It

Prep the Eggs

Before cooking your eggs, we would recommend bringing them up to room temperature to prevent the shells from cracking. We like to do this is by letting them sit on the counter for about 30 minutes, but you can also do this by placing them in a bowl of warm water. Once your eggs are up to temperature, bring a pot of water with some vinegar to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and place your eggs in the hot water.

Cook the eggs until hard boiled (10-12 minutes), then remove them from the pot and submerge them in a bowl of ice water until fully cooled (15 minutes).

Once the eggs have cooled, peel them and separate the whites from the yolks. You can do this by slicing them down the middle and scooping out the yolks with a spoon. However, we like using a knife to cut into the white, then cut around the circumference of the egg without slicing into the yolk. Then, you can simply twist the egg whites to sperate the halves, leaving the yolk intact, which makes it easy to remove from the white without mess.

Mix the Filling

In a small bowl, mix the cooked yolk, mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard together until well-combined. We did this by mashing them together with a fork, but you can also use a spatula. We would not recommend using a whisk for this because the filling has a tendency to stick together.

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Once the base of the filling is mixed, add the capers, shallots, smoked salmon, and dill and mix well.

Stuff the Eggs

Once your filling is mixed, use a spoon to add it to the hollowed-out egg whites. You can also use a piping bag for this if you’re feeling fancy.

Once the filling is evenly distributed, arrange the eggs on a plate, garnish with fresh dill, and serve!