Zesty Old Bay Deviled Eggs
September 25, 2020 by Nicole Collins
Do you guys ever feel like the more you say that you don't like something, the less true the statement becomes?
I feel like that's happening more and more to me these days.
For example, I've always been a mustard hater. I had a bad experience with mustard when I was a freshman in high school, and I haven't been able to look at it the same way since. But somehow, thanks to all of the mustard tastes tests I've done at work (back in the days when we used to go into an office) in the name of a free lunch voucher, I've conditioned myself to not only tolerate mustard, but crave it.
And in case you're wondering, the bad experience involved a pie tin filled with mustard topped with whipped cream being thrown as a “pie” in my face. I'll tell you all about it some day.
I've also been a life time sweet potato hater. Now sweet potatoes are one of those things that I wished I liked, but I just don't. And, I'm not shy about telling anyone that I don't like them either. But, I had a sweet potato disguised in tempura batter last week; I ate it unknowingly; and I didn't hate it.
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
And, I know that you guys know how I feel about deviled eggs/egg salad. I don't like the bells and whistles. I don't like all the flavors. I want it plain and simple. I only want mayo, paprika, and pepper. Or do I?
I'm starting to think not, because I'm completely loving today's recipe way more than any person should.
Today, we're making Zesty Old Bay Deviled Eggs!
This recipe came together completely as a fridge clean out snack. I was laying in bed at 9:30 at night craving deviled eggs one night. I bee-lined straight for the fridge the next morning, saw some leftover Old Bay Remoulade in a little container, had a little lightbulb go off, and here we are. And it was so delicious, I just had to make it blog official!
So, let's talk hard boiled eggs. Everyone has their own theories about the perfect hard boiled egg method, and this is mine. It's foolproof for me every time. No grey yolks. No shells stuck to the egg whites. Just a perfectly bright and easy peel egg.
Start by adding your eggs to a medium saucepan. Cover the eggs with cold water until the water reaches about a half inch above the eggs. Put the burner on high, and as soon as the water starts to bubble, set a timer for 10 minutes. No guesstimating here. We need an exact 10 minutes. As soon as the time goes off, take the pot off the heat, drain the boiling water, cover the eggs with cold water while still in the pot, dump that first round of water, then cover the eggs with cold water one more time. Let those babies sit in the cooled water for no more than 3 minutes. Then, remove the eggs from the water, and they're ready to peel.
Immediately running the eggs under cold water helps to stop any carry over cooking so that the eggs don't over cook...which is what causes that grey tint you sometimes see with hard boiled eggs. And for whatever reason, 2-3 mins in the cool water is the magic number. It seems that if I leave the eggs in the water any longer than that, the shells stick. So, don't let them linger in there. 3 mins max...get the eggs out of the water and on to dry land to get ready for peeling.
Once the eggs are peeled, we're going to cut them in half, pop out the yolks, and get the yolks ready for their yummy dressing. You've see my Old Bay Remoulade a couple times before, and this is the exact same recipe that's been sized down using my super legit math skills. So, we need some mayo, some stone ground mustard, a little apple cider vinegar to cut the richness, some capers, a little green onion, and Old Bay. Mash everything together until the mix reaches your desired consistency, and we're ready to fill our egg cavities.
In my personal opinion, I don't like deviled eggs that have those super fancy piped fillings. There's just something that feels stuffy about it to me, and I feel like the charm of a deviled egg is lost. So, we're keeping it rustic and either using a little spoon to transfer the yolk mix to the eggs, or we can use a piping bag with the tip cut off (no fancy piping tips) to help us get the filling into the eggs quickly and efficiently. It doesn't matter which method you choose. They'll be delicious no matter what they look like.
When you're ready to serve, give these babies the lightest dusting of Old Bay and maybe a sprinkle of chopped chives, for good measure. And that's it! These are ready to eat!
These zesty little egg bites are just that. We have some zip and tang from the mustard, capers, and vinegar. We have some savory richness from the mayo and Old Bay. And, we get these little touches of freshness from the minced scallion pieces. These simple little eggs really pack a TON of flavor into one delicious bite.
Ok, everyone. I guess at this point, I have to officially stop saying that I only like plain deviled eggs. Because, that becomes less and less true with every late night craving/early morning experiment.
I hope you enjoy, and let's eat!
Zesty Old Bay Deviled Eggs
Serves: 12 eggs Print
Ingredients:
6 eggs
3 tbsp mayonnaise
¼ + 1/8 tsp apple cider vinegar
¼ + 1/8 tsp Old Bay seasoning, plus more for dusting
¼ + 1/8 tsp sweet relish
½ tsp stone ground mustard
½ tsp capers, chopped
1 small green onion (green parts only), finely chopped
Directions:
Hard boil the eggs: Place eggs in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water until the water is at least a half inch above the eggs. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water starts to bubble, set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, immediately drain the hot water out of the pot and run cold water over the eggs in the pot. Dump the first round of water and run cold water over the eggs again. Let the eggs sit in the cold water for 2-3 mins. Remove the eggs from the water, and carefully peel the shells off of the eggs.
Using a sharp knife, cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the yolks, and place them in a small mixing bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork until they're crumbled. To the yolks, add mayo, vinegar, Old Bay, relish, mustard, capers, and green onions. Mix until combined and smoothed to your desired texture.
Using a piping bag with the tip cut off or a small spoon, fill the cavity of the eggs with the yolk mixture. Dust the tops with additional old bay seasoning, if desired. Allow the eggs to chill for at least an hour before serving so the flavors have a chance to marry. Serve!
Recipe notes:
*Everyone has their own method for hard boiling eggs, but this is my fool proof method. The shells slide right off!
*Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
