This fried deviled egg recipe falls under one of those forehead-slapping “duh” categories. As in, why-didn’t-I-think-of-this-myself. Duh.
I was channel surfing one dark and stormy, late summer night, when I landed on a PBS station with Jacques Pépin frying eggs. He’s one cool dude, that Jacques. I love that he’s still cooking, his crooked, arthritic hands maneuvering bowls and pans swiftly around the kitchen, fluidly, and with a skill that I’m far from mastering. (His birthday’s tomorrow, by the way: he’ll be 77.)
Anyway, he was frying eggs. But not just any egg — hard boiled eggs. He was frying hard boiled eggs. Deviled eggs, actually, stuffed with simply seasoned egg yolks. He plated the fried deviled eggs, and then drizzled them with a vinaigrette. Beautiful.
I grabbed my laptop and hit the Googs.
I had missed the beginning of the show — and the recipe, natch — but a search quickly turned it up. A dish from his childhood, Pépin credits his mother, Jeanette, with inventing the fried deviled eggs recipe.
So easy, so clever. And, as I found out the very next day, so delicious.
If you’re hosting a small holiday party, these fried deviled eggs would be a perfect, elegant alternative to the traditional dish. You can boil and stuff the eggs and prepare the dressing ahead of time, and then fry them up close to party time — it takes just minutes. Oh! And I also recommend adding fresh tarragon to the egg yolk seasoning.
- for the eggs:
- 6 jumbo eggs (preferably organic)
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (preferably peanut oil)
- for the dressing:
- 2 to 3 tablespoons leftover egg stuffing (from above)
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tablespoon water
- Dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the eggs in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 9 to 10 minutes. Drain off the water, and shake the eggs in the saucepan to crack the shells. (This will help in their removal later on.) Fill the saucepan with cold water and ice, and let the eggs cool for 15 minutes.
- Remove the egg shells, and cut them lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks and place them in a bowl, along with the garlic, parsley, milk, salt, and pepper. Mash with a fork to create a coarse paste. Spoon the mixture back into the hollows of the egg whites, reserving 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling to use in the dressing.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium until shimmering, and place the eggs, stuffed side down, in the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the eggs are beautifully browned on the stuffed side. Remove and arrange, stuffed side up, on a platter.
- For the Dressing: Mix all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk or a spoon until well combined.
- Drizzle the warm eggs with the dressing, and serve lukewarm.