Deviled Eggs
They’re fun to eat and fun to say! I don’t know what makes them deviled—there’s only a sprinkling of harissa powder to give them a red tint, and they’re not spicy—but who am I to argue with tradition?
I’ve taken these deviled eggs up a notch and given them the lox bagel treatment. The olives and capers give a nice pop of flavor and help cut through the luxurious fat while the red onion gives a nice pop of crunch. Oh, and those capers? They become something totally different after a quick dip in hot oil.
Makes 16 filled egg halves
8 eggs
100 g (4 ounces) cream cheese
20 g (11⁄2 tablespoons) good mayonnaise, such as Hellman’s
40 g (1⁄2 cup) olives, diced
4 g (1 teaspoon) kosher salt, divided
115 g yolks from eggs
vegetable oil, as needed
30 g (1⁄4 cup) nonpareil capers
50 g (1⁄4 cup) red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1–2 tablespoons chives, cut into 1⁄2-inch-long pieces
harissa powder, as needed
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat, add all 8 eggs, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes. Remove to an ice bath and let cool for 30 minutes. Peel and cut eat egg in half along its long axis. Remove the yolks to a large bowl. Set the empty halves to the side.
Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, olives, and half of the salt to the egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Put the schmear into a small ziplock bag. Seal the bag and snip off a small part of one of the corners. Set aside.
Use a sieve to drain the capers. Dry them on a paper towel–lined plate.
Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 375 ̊F in a small saucepan over medium heat. Working in batches, carefully add capers to oil and fry until they split open and get crispy, about 45 seconds. Use a fine-mesh sieve to remove them from the oil and set them on a fresh paper towel–lined plate.
In a small bowl, place the sliced onion, lemon juice, and the remaining salt. Let pickle for 10 to 15 minutes.
In the meantime, divide the egg yolk mixture evenly among the egg whites, squeezing it out through the hole you cut in the ziplock bag. Top each egg with a few capers, a few slices of pickled red onion, and a few chive pieces.
