It’s that time of year when the coop chickens are living their best lives – and maybe you have some extra eggs. These elevated truffled deviled eggs are a fun way to update and upgrade a familiar party accessory.
Deviled eggs are definitely making a comeback! And in style too. I have seen the cutest deviled egg dishes in posh brick and mortar kitchen stores recently. It is the perfect way to prepare any extra eggs from your hens that you haven’t given away. Truffled deviled eggs is my go-to, and I always get so many compliments on them. J once took a batch in for a work party, and now he’s known as the guy who brought the amazing deviled eggs. He’s been asked many times for the secret ingredient.
Tips for Deviled Eggs
First, you want to use your freshest eggs if you can. When the hens are laying a lot of eggs, it is natural to want to use up the older eggs first. This is perfectly fine when you are making a frittata. But it is important to use fresh eggs for deviled eggs. If you don’t, one side of your hard boiled egg will be way too thin to support the filling.
Here comes a little nerdy egg fact. The albumen (white part of the egg) contains strands called chalazae that attach to opposite ends of the egg and twist in opposite directions to keep the yolk centered. As the egg sits on a shelf, these chalazae break down and the yolk settles to one side. Even if you rotate your eggs, they will tend to rest on the side, making that side of the albumen extra thin after hard boiling.
Fresh eggs from your own chickens make extra tasty (and fluffy) yolks! If you are using your own eggs, you don’t need to season deviled eggs very much, because the mouthfeel is perfect. If you are using store bought eggs, you may wish to add in some Parmesan – Reggiano cheese (just a touch) to the filling for a more complex finished product.
I have recommended the cold water and rest method for hard boiling the eggs. This has always worked for me to reduce the discoloration in the hard boiled egg and I also find that the yolks tend to be fluffier. I also recommend keeping the eggs in the ice water bath after the rest is over. This seems to improve the peeling and prevents the shell from sticking to the albumen.
For really elevated truffled deviled eggs, garnish each egg with a small dollop of fresh caviar. Yum!
A Note about Truffle Oil
There has been some controversy over commercial truffle oils. Clearly, truffles are extremely hard to come by. In Italy truffle hunting is an art of the highest form, and they utilize the superior noses of pigs to help detect the delectable mushrooms. Truffles are very expensive, and the controversy is that most truffle oils on the market do not contain real truffles. It stands to reason that a $14 bottle of truffle oil is not going to contain real truffles.
Most truffle oils use a synthetic truffle aroma instead, because it lasts longer and is more cost effective to produce. However, it is possible to find truffle oil with real truffles, or a mix of flavor plus truffles. If you love the flavor of truffle and want to add it to your salad, pasta, fries, or other dishes, a good and probably expensive bottle is definitely worth the splurge.
Ingredients for Truffled Deviled Eggs
- 6 large eggs
- 1/3 Cup Mayonaisse
- 2 Teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
- 2 teaspoons white truffle oil
- salt to taste
- fresh chives, caviar or paprika for garnish
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a sauce pan in cold water so that they are fully covered. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat right away once boiling, and let stand covered for ten minutes. This ensures extra fluffy eggs!
- Drain the eggs, rinse with cold water, and then fill up the sauce pan with ice water. Allow the eggs to stand in the ice water another ten or so minutes – this helps ease of peeling the eggs.
- Peel and cut the hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise. Use a really sharp non-serrated knife. Remove the yolks into a separate bowl. Gently arrange the empty egg white halves into a beautiful dish.
- In a bowl, mix the fluffy yolks, mayo, Dijon (and cheese, if using) together. Add in the truffle oil and salt to taste. Mix together well with no lumps.
- Put the yolk mixture in a pastry bag (or a small zip-top baggie with one corner cut out) and pipe the mixture into the egg halves.
- Garnish.
- ENJOY!
