The Deviled Egg Wears Masala

I stole the first deviled egg I ever ate.

It was at a dinner party. I arrived too early and with a growling stomach. I didn’t know the host that well; he was a friend of a friend. He was in the midst of laying the dinner table with a sumptuous feast when he placed a platter of decorated boiled eggs on the table and proudly introduced them as Deviled Eggs. I had never heard of them! The name alone made me want to sink my teeth into one to know what made them so devilish. But, the host had made it very clear – no one was to eat until all the guests had arrived.

As I watched the eggs sparkle on the platter, all I could think about was how perfectly creamy, spicy and eggy they would taste. I soon found myself inching my way to the table, assessing the neatly arranged half-orbs, and plotting my strategy. When the next guest arrived, I slid into the dining room, popped the smallest egg into my mouth and skillfully realigned the remaining eggs to make up for the missing one. It was as luscious as I had imagined. I’m not sure if the host ever realized but it was definitely worth getting caught.

Today, many years later, inspired by the numerous eggs around for Easter and Passover, I made my first batch of deviled eggs. I was determined to make them even more decadent, even more tempting and even more fiery, to lure someone into stealing one for themselves! I used crème fraiche, added garam masala and cayenne pepper and topped them off with pickled shallots and my version of mustard seed caviar. These aren’t just any deviled eggs; these are designer deviled eggs.

Enjoy!
~Anjali

A printable list of ingredients and directions are at the end of this post,
along with an image of this Perfect Morsel.

First up, the delicious mustard seed caviar. The mustard seeds lend a dark nutty flavor and a crunchy texture to the eggs.

Heat the olive oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds, coriander powder and turmeric.

Once the mustard seeds start to pop, turn the heat off, stir and set aside to cool. This tasty caviar can be used in other recipes as well.

Next, mix the sliced shallots with lemon juice and a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper. Set aside with the rest of the garnishes – the finely chopped parsley and sliced radishes.

Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover them and boil on high heat. Once at a boil, turn the stove off, cover the pan and set aside for 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. This step makes it easier to peel their fragile shells.

Slice the eggs in half, lengthwise. Carefully remove the yolks and place in a mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash up the egg yolks. Add salt, pepper, garam masala, cayenne pepper and parsley. Continue to mash. Then, stir in the crème fraiche until creamy.

For a do-it-yourself pastry bag, clip the end of a small sandwich bag and fill with the egg yolk mixture.

Gently twist the bag from the top to pipe the mixture into the egg white halves.

Garnish each egg with a bit of parsley, a sliver of radish, a couple of strands of shallots and a small amount of the mustard seed caviar. Sprinkle a little cayenne pepper for an extra kick of heat and color and- Voila! You now have a luxurious deviled egg.

I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe or of any deviled eggs recipes you’ve stumbled across or any morsels that you were lured into stealing.

~Anjali