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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Smoky Deviled Eggs


Deviled eggs sound both epic and silly all at once.  They conjure up the image of a creepy, horned, underworld creature-guy with a pointy tail - holding a pitchfork in one hand an egg in the other.  And a malicious grin on his face. Encased in a cloud of smoke.

And when there is news that deviled eggs are in the same room as you, it comes with just a smidge of disappointment when it is revealed to you that there is no devil.  Just eggs.

They may be eggs, but they are indeed a wonderful, wonderful thing.  Who am I kidding, I love eggs.  How brilliant of an idea was it to take out that creamy yolk, make it even more creamy, season it, then stuff it back into its cooked white shell?  Most definitely brilliant.

So even though deviled eggs will most likely not (I mean, never say never and all that) come with a supernatural evil creature, these particular ones do actually come with a bit of smoke.

I'm not gonna lie - we are kinda obsessed with smokiness.  When smoked paprika, coriander, and cumin come together something magical (perhaps devilish?), happens.  I'm not really sure what that is, but this alchemy makes things very fun and yummy to eat.  This isn't the first time you have seen these flavors here, and I guarantee it won't be the last.  We are much too smitten to turn our backs on these spices. We've recently taken to making these smoky deviled eggs.  We even made them for breakfast, feeling a random desire for stuffed eggs one morning.  And indulging in an unusual breakfast food made me feel a bit devilish, and I happily embraced my pitchfork and horns and pointy tail.

Ingredients
7 hard boiled eggs, peeled
4 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise
Just a splash of liquid smoke
Just a splash of white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
pinch ancho chile powder
1/8 teaspoon dijon mustard
paprika, for garnish
chopped chives, for garnish

Instructions
Halve the eggs, and remove the yolks, placing into a medium-sized bowl.  Add the mayonnaise, liquid smoke, vinegar, spices, and Dijon mustard.  Mix everything together with a fork, getting everything nice and smooth.  Using a small spoon, stuff the mixture back into the holes of the egg whites.  Sprinkle with paprika and chopped chives for garnish. Refrigerate until serving.