For as long as I can remember there have always been Deviled Eggs at our Easter Sunday celebrations. I have no idea whose ancestor first brought them to the table but they are here to stay.
My curiosity was peaked as to the history behind this dish. Here's the history behind the name as told to me by Wiki-answers.
An Englishman by the name of William Underwood set up a small condiment business on Boston's Russia Wharf in 1822. It did pretty well both developing and selling new condiment products. Around 1868, Underwood's sons began experimenting with a new product created from ground ham blended with a mix of special seasonings. They introduced a product line of seasoned meat products including ham, turkey, chicken, lobster, and tongue. They called the seasoning process "deviling," and the Underwood "red devil" was born.
Today many other foods, including eggs and crab, are served "deviled." To be considered devilled, a food has to have a kick from something like Dijon mustard, hot sauce, cayenne pepper or chopped hot peppers.
Underwood's Deviling process holds U.S. Patent Office trademark NO. 82, granted in 1870, the oldest existing food trademark still in use in the United States. The exact"deviling" recipe remains a company secret to this day.
Today many other foods, including eggs and crab, are served "deviled." To be considered devilled, a food has to have a kick from something like Dijon mustard, hot sauce, cayenne pepper or chopped hot peppers.
Underwood's Deviling process holds U.S. Patent Office trademark NO. 82, granted in 1870, the oldest existing food trademark still in use in the United States. The exact"deviling" recipe remains a company secret to this day.
I’m not sure our family recipe has a kick to it but there never is a one left over when the festivities are done.
Deviled Eggs
Prepare hard-cooked eggs
Shell the eggs, cut them in halves, and remove the yolks. Crush the yolks with a fork and work them into a smooth paste with the following ingredients:
Mayonnaise, season with salt, paprika and a little dry mustard
Fill the egg whites with the paste garnish with parsley or chives and a sprinkle of paprika.
If you’re so inclined to make them a little more festive for the day, you can dye them after you shell them.
Prepare a cup of boiling hot water with a tbsp of vinegar and a couple of drops of food colouring (your choice of colour). Leave in for a couple minutes, remove let dry on a paper towel and then proceed with the devilling process.
Happy Easter Everyone!
