My workplace held our Thanksgiving meal this past Friday. We hold our dinner early before things get too crazy with personal obligations and people start going on vacation. Our feast this year was amazing! I work with several others who are great cooks (or have immediate family members who are). This year I volunteered to bring stuffed mushrooms and deviled eggs. Word has spread that I'm a food blogger, so coworkers excitedly asked what I was bringing. When I responded with such a common food answer, the universal comment was, "Oh." I decided to try and find a recipe that would surprise everyone - but there was one catch. I don't eat deviled eggs.
I only started eating eggs a few years ago. They just didn't seemed to settle well in my stomach, plus the flavor and texture of the yolk was never pleasing. Today I am still only able to eat them scrambled. My search for a unique deviled egg recipe would need to be something I was confident in serving without having tasted it personally.
I used every search engine known to food bloggers, but was unable to find anything unique. The recipes only varied slightly on the filling ingredients, but were all still basically the classic deviled egg. I made my way over to Food Network to see what their chefs had created. Amazingly, at the top of the list was a recipe by The Neely's. I've heard of this duo, but have yet to watch their show, so they're still newcomers in my mind. However, the recipe of deep frying deviled eggs caught my attention. Everything tastes good fried, right? I decided to go for it and keep my fingers crossed.
I made the deviled eggs over two days. The night before, I boiled the eggs, made the filling, and then stuffed those little eggs silly. I let them sit overnight in the fridge in the hopes of the flavors being able to mingle and the eggs to stiffen slightly (hopefully not falling apart when rolled in a coating and fried). I kept my negative thoughts to a minimum and went to bed prepared to make a killer deviled egg the morning of the feast.
When I arrived at work and presented my share, everyone just assumed the fried deviled eggs were the stuffed mushrooms! They had come out perfectly golden brown and not one fell apart. Once I started explaining what the golden goodness was, word spread like wildfire. Coworkers began snatching them up and bobbing their heads in approval. I was told they tasted like regular deviled eggs, only with a delicious addition that only deep frying can bring. I was very pleased with the results of seeing everyone happy and eager to share their new experience with others for the holidays. I would highly recommend having deep fried deviled eggs on your table this year.
Deep Fried Deviled Eggs
12 eggs*
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon zest
salt and pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
peanut oil
Several hours before preparing the eggs, place the egg carton on the counter and turn the eggs on their sides. This will center the yolk and allow the eggs to reach room temperature.
Using a large pot, fill 3/4 full of cool water and set on the stove. Gently add half the eggs and turn the burner on high and cover with a lid. After about 6 min, the water should begin to boil. Remove the pot carefully from the burner, add a healthy pinch of salt to the water, and allow to sit covered for 14 min. Repeat with the remaining eggs using fresh cool water.
While the first batch is boiling, prepare an ice bath. In a large bowl, fill 1/2 full of cold water and a few handfuls of ice cubes. Once the eggs have finished cooking, use tongs to carefully place the eggs in the ice bath. Allow all the eggs to sit in the ice bath for 30 min total.
Once cooled, begin carefully cracking and peeling the eggs. (Thankfully, the frying process will cover any divots in the egg whites, but still be careful so the whites do not contain any holes.) Cut each egg in half and remove the yolk. In a medium bowl, mash together the yolks, mayo, mustard, lemon zest, and salt & pepper. Use a spoon to fill the egg whites and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the eggs from the fridge while preparing for the frying process to allow them to come to room temperature. In three separate bowls: add the all-purpose flour with a dash of salt and pepper; mix the eggs together; and lastly place the breadcrumbs in their own bowl. Have a large plate lined with paper towels ready to hold the eggs pre- and post-cooking.
Right before dipping the eggs, add peanut oil to a pot that will cover the eggs slightly (about 2 inches deep). Turn the burner to medium-high. Dip an egg into the flour mixture, then coat well with egg, and lastly roll well in breadcrumbs. Using a spider, add four eggs to the spider and carefully add to the peanut oil. The eggs should brown after only 15 seconds. Remove the eggs with the spider and repeat until all are cooked. Sprinkle the eggs with kosher salt and allow to cool slightly before serving.
~Yields 24 deep fried deviled eggs.
~Adapted from Food Network with tips from The Deviled Egg Gourmet.
*Boiling at least 2 additional eggs will allow room for any that crack or do not peel well - or for snacking!
