One of the Father and Daughter rituals that Annie and I have in our wild savory kitchen, on special events and big family feasts, is to make Deviled Eggs as an appetizer. They were easy to learn to make when she was a girl and we both really love them. Over time, we experimented with lots of different styles and ingredients and Annie finally arrived at this recipe as her favorite. For me, the secret is the herb tarragon, which is always perfect with creamy rich food. We also use pasture raised fertile eggs, it makes all the difference in taste.
Ingredients
8 eggs, boiled gently for 5 1/2 minutes and cooled
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
4 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
Prep Work
Peel eggs and then very carefully cut length wise, using a small sharp dampened knife. Remove all yokes and place in a medium bowl, putting egg whites aside. The yolks should be slightly creamy, not rubbery, so they are easily mashed. Add mayonnaise, mustard and olive oil, mix together until creamy. Stir together with capers, shallots, celery, chives and tarragon. Salt and pepper to taste.
Carefully spoon the mixture in the bowl into the cavity of the egg whites, and sprinkle on the paprika. Serves somewhere between 4 and 8, because some folks just scarf them up. Like Annie and Daddy.
