Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Revisionist Eggs Strike the Heart of Maundy Thursday

Like so many other Episcopal parishes, we will have a potluck dinner Thursday before the Maundy Thursday service. I have been struggling about what I could bring. As a single person, with no chance to cook on Thursday, it’s a challenge. I had to think of something that I could prepare in advance that would be “fresh” on Thursday evening.

Then it came to me: deviled eggs. Our parish seems to love deviled eggs. And they have gobbled mine up in past parish events. Best of all, I could boil the eggs tonight, prepare them tomorrow, then share them Thursday. Great deal all ‘round.

Then it occurred to me that I should warn folks that these aren’t the standard Midwestern deviled eggs of mayonnaise, diced pickles, and a little pickle juice. I should prepare a sort of “label” for them, warning folks that these are savory, not sweet, deviled eggs, including cumin, curry, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. That led me to the fact that I should probably give my deviled eggs a name.

As I was boiling the eggs this evening, I pondered what name to give to my weird deviled eggs. It came to me in a flash.

They shall be Revisionist Deviled Eggs. It will work in a “plain reading” of recipes, for they diverge from the standard Midwestern version. But I also believe that one of our parishioners is probably one of the closeted, anonymous commenters at Stand Firm. So he, at least, knows the other semantics of “revisionists” and “reasserters.”

Here’s what I put into my wackadoo deviled eggs:
Revisionist Deviled Eggs
a little mayonnaise and a lot of sour cream
Dijon mustard
cumin
curry
Worcestershire sauce
salt
What do you put in yours? Do you have ways of preparing deviled eggs that aren’t just mayonnaise and pickle juice? I’ve been playing around with deviled eggs for over a decade, and I have other variations, but I’d like to hear about yours.

38 Comments:

Blogger susan s. said...

Or, expansionist deviled eggs. . .

Deviled eggs are a great idea Lisa. I put in Mayo, French's Mustard(lots), Delmonte Sweet Pickle juice *and* Worchestershire sauce. I never thought of cumin and curry or sour cream. I'll have to try yours.

3/30/2010 8:48 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

Susan, where do you live? Your eggs sound exactly like what I grew up with ... and which I loved.

And I love your verbal filip to the Bishops' secret panel in calling them "expansionist" deviled eggs. Thanks for the chuckle!

3/30/2010 8:54 PM  
Blogger Ann said...

I have never made them -- I just eat them and your sound yummy. Our church is having a Middle Eastern theme Maundy Thursday meal - pita, olives, cheese, hummus, etc

3/30/2010 9:05 PM  
Blogger susan s. said...

Lisa, I have received email that you commented, but it does not show up here. I live in Berkeley. CA, but I was raised in Middle Tennessee, so I come by that recipe honest, as they say. My mother made them that way. I always make them for organ recital receptions at church and folks just love them. We have lots of Southern expatriots out here and they always look at me and say "Sweet Pickle Juice?", and I have to confess the secret ingredient!

I couldn't resist the smart remark. Hmmm, verbal filip, eh? I like it!

3/30/2010 9:05 PM  
Blogger susan s. said...

So now it all shows up!

3/30/2010 9:06 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

Oh, I could totally get behind that, Ann! Those are some of my favorite snacks.

3/30/2010 9:07 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

That's what I grew up with too, Susan. I love them. No need to apologize.

3/30/2010 9:09 PM  
Blogger susan s. said...

*Where* did I apologize? ;-)

3/30/2010 9:11 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

Deep apologies, Susan. OF COURSE, you did not apologize. I was projecting.

3/30/2010 10:04 PM  
Blogger MarkBrunson said...

Pickle juice?!

When there is perfectly good fresh dill to be had in even backwater grocery stores! Yeeeurrrghh!

3/30/2010 10:51 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

Yes, Mark. Pickle juice. It's a midwestern and southern thing. I beg you to exercise your tolerance and love for your brothers and sisters here ... and not make sport of the pickle juice thing. I know you can do it, Mark. Love ya!

BTW, I also have a deviled egg concoction featuring dill. But that's for another story.

Give us your deviled egg concoction, Mark. We doing Anglicans Epicurious tonight.

3/30/2010 10:56 PM  
Blogger IT said...

BP just made some. Hers include a little chopt prosciutto, worcester, paprika, and wasabi mustard. I think she used a sour cream-mayo mixture. capers and parsley to finish.

i love them all. I am definitely expansionist. But then I grew up in berkeley.... ;-)

3/30/2010 11:01 PM  
Blogger susan s. said...

SWEET Pickle Juice, Mark! There is no dill in sweet pickles.

3/30/2010 11:03 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

I must object to the prosciutto, IT, for I think God said devilled eggs should be meatless.

But wasabi?!?! That may the missing ingredient I've wanted! Brilliant!

I'm with ya, sister. I've never met a deviled egg I didn't love.

3/30/2010 11:05 PM  
Blogger susan s. said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

3/30/2010 11:11 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

No, not yet, Susan. I'm having too much fun with deviled egg concoctions.

So far, the only heresy I've seen is IT's wackadoo notion of prosciutto ... which I'm pretty sure is prohibited in the XXXIX Articles.

I'm enjoying this, and I really want to hear what folks around the country and around the globe do with their deviled eggs.

Chill, Susan. I do know that yours are the Deviled Eggs Once Delivered From the Saints. I received the same deposit of the faith ... lo, those many years ago.

3/30/2010 11:19 PM  
Blogger susan s. said...

OK, I took it down partly because it was ranty, and partly because I don't want to throw a wrench into the possibility of learning new ingredients for dressed eggs. ;-)

3/30/2010 11:50 PM  
Blogger IT said...

BP does not have an account, but asked me to post this. Yes, I married a girl from Texas!

I only used prosciutto because we didn't have any bacon... which any self-respecting (south) Texan *knows* goes into deviled eggs! (OK, I admit it--when I grew up, it was Bac-Os). Also, no paprika-it was chili powder.

BP

3/31/2010 12:09 AM  
Blogger Kirkepiscatoid said...

I imagine they are also The Deviled Eggs of The Emerging Church. LOL

Confession time: I will eat darn near everything in this world except mustard and mayonnaise. (What kills me are the dweebs who say, "What about Miracle Whip?" DUH. Miracle Whip is fake mayonnaise and it TASTES like mayonnaise, so like..."Hellooooo!")

If you can invent a deviled egg I can stand to eat, I will sing eternal praises. I have thought in the past that sour cream might make a decent manyonnaise substitute but I am not sure how to get around the mustard issue.

3/31/2010 12:10 AM  
Blogger MarkBrunson said...

Sweet pickles are an offense against God and Man.

It's a midwestern and southern thing. I beg you to exercise your tolerance and love for your brothers and sisters here ... and not make sport of the pickle juice thing.

Um . . . I was born in Atlanta and have never lived farther north than South Carolina (thankfully too young to remember that period of horror!) and live in Southwest Georgia now.

No pickle juice. It is wrong. This is the new kashrut that I establish this day.

3/31/2010 12:50 AM  
Blogger MarkBrunson said...

Wasabi. That's actually a great idea. The texture, color and flavor would all go splendidly with deviled eggs. And, wasabi is a natural preservative, though whether that would help in the problem of egg-yolk oxidation, where it goes kind of crusty and rubbery, I don't know.

3/31/2010 12:53 AM  
Blogger bfelice said...

I'm currently fascinated with perfecting tea egg technique.

3/31/2010 8:13 AM  
Blogger IT said...

Actually it was wasabi MUSTARD.
(Sorry Kirk).

3/31/2010 9:39 AM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

IT, your BP's note reminds me of my time in Texas, when bacon (or Bac-Os) where part of deviled eggs. So I get it now.

3/31/2010 8:33 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

I'm not sure what I think about this "emerging church" thing, KirkE.

I didn't realize you had a "thing" about mustard and may.
And you are right: Miracle Whip is a Work of the Devil. As far as I can tell, it's just mayo with sugar added. An abomination from first to last.
In our office, they sometimes offer Miracle Whip as a condiment.
It is not a condiment. It is an aberration.

A question: Do you only abhor liquid mustards? Or do you also abhor the taste of dry, ground mustard?

Yes, KirkE: I make a devileg egg with only sour cream, fresh dill, and a bit of salt. Folks liked it.

3/31/2010 8:40 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

Beth wrote: "I'm currently fascinated with perfecting tea egg technique."

"Tea egg," Beth? Please explain.

For this is the definitive thread on parish deviled egg offerings.

3/31/2010 8:42 PM  
Blogger Ann said...

Mayonnaise is blech! I hate it. Miracle Whip too - all tooooo white and ooogy.

3/31/2010 9:02 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

So ... how about you mayo-haters begin with sour cream? Is that a good start?

3/31/2010 9:04 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

I'm loving the discussion here. But now I have to prepare my eggs for Maundy Thursday.

Back soon as I can.

3/31/2010 9:12 PM  
Blogger Kirkepiscatoid said...

I can handle dry mustard (a little) in things like BBQ.

I'm wondering what a deviled egg would taste like with sour cream and a little powdered wasabi now....or sour cream and a little Patak's Indian lime pickle.

3/31/2010 9:56 PM  
Blogger Ann said...

Kirke - I was wondering the same thing - we have been online classes too long LOL

3/31/2010 10:06 PM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

In your honor, KirkE, I just made my devilled eggs with NO mustard or mayo. Sour cream is the trick. And I spiced it up with the cumin and curry. And I love 'em!

3/31/2010 10:12 PM  
Blogger Kirkepiscatoid said...

I wish I could taste them from here!

4/02/2010 7:23 AM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

And I wish I could have one of your easter eggs, KirkE. So we're even in longing.

4/04/2010 11:02 PM  
Blogger JimB said...

Hungarian Deviled Eggs

Mayo
Sour Cream
Paprika (medium hot)
shallots minced very fine
Paprika (sweet)
Kosher salt

Last two are garnishes on top. I pretty much do the mayo / sour cream to taste.

FWIW
jimB

4/06/2010 8:52 AM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

Thanks for that, Jim. The filling sounds pretty straightforward. Does it get its taste from the shallots?

4/07/2010 9:59 PM  
Blogger JimB said...

That and the paprika. I use a lot, the filling is light pink. You can probably use mega mart Spanish to get the color, for the flavor you need the real stuff. Hungarians make about 30 different kinds -- I like a fairly hot one in this. I am planing to try some Spanish smoked paprika too.

FWIW
jimB

4/08/2010 8:06 AM  
Blogger Lisa Fox said...

Thanks. I keep a good Hungarian paprika in my cupboard. This sounds intriguing.

4/08/2010 8:47 PM  

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