She was often called, "the South’s answer to Julia Child." Edna Lewis is her name; and, among other
things, she knew how to shake up deviled eggs!
She sliced off a third of the top of each egg and then it
had its own little cup. Then she
whipped up her own mayonnaise and combined it with sieved egg yolks, cream,
sugar and vinegar. They are pure
deviled eggs with a surprising touch of sweetness. A great tip of
Edna’s: after the eggs have cooked
and as you run cold water over them to stop the cooking, shake the pan as you
do so, to crack the eggshells gently all over.
For those of you not familiar with the legendary Edna Lewis,
she was a woman who brought a “quiet dignity and elegance” to Southern
cooking. She was a “cook’s cook,”
and a chef with plenty of experience.
She often assumed you are knowledgeable in cooking techniques with an
educated palate.
This recipe is from my favorite
cookbook of hers ~ The Gift of Southern Cooking by Edna Lewis and Scott
Peacock. Peacock lived with and
cared for Lewis for more than six years before her death in 2006 at age
89. Miss Lewis, in turn, taught
him about cooking and much more.
Scott says of Edna, she was “a deeply sensitive person and cook” who
took Southern food seriously and was proud of her contributions to it while not
being affected by the flattery or attention from others.”
In a 1989 interview with the New York Times, Lewis said, "As a child in Virginia, I thought
all food tasted delicious. After growing up, I didn't think food tasted the
same, so it has been my lifelong effort to try and recapture those good flavors
of the past." She definitely
did it with this recipe for deviled eggs!
We’re heading into summer and deviled eggs are a must at a
cook-out, picnic, or covered dish dinner! Here’s the recipe:
Deviled Eggs
Ingredients:
1 dozen
large eggs
1 tablespoon
kosher salt
1½ tablespoons
cider vinegar
½ teaspoon
sea salt, or more to taste
1 teaspoon
granulated sugar
½ cup
mayonnaise
2
tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoon
chopped chives, chervil or tarragon, if desired
Paprika, if
desired
Method:
Put the eggs
in a large saucepan, and pour in enough water to cover them by 2 inches.
Add to water
1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar.
Bring the
water and eggs to a hard boil over high heat.
Immediately
remove them from the heat and cover.
Let sit
covered for 20 minutes.
Pour off the
hot water, and run cool tap water over the eggs to stop the cooking.
Shake the
pan as you do so, to crack the eggshells gently all over.
Peel the
eggs.
*Slice the
top third of the egg off crosswise, and with a spoon remove the yolks from each
egg, leaving the egg “cups.”
Using a
wooden spoon, rub the eggs through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl.
Blend in the
remaining vinegar, sea salt, sugar, and mayonnaise until smooth.
Blend in the
heavy cream.
Taste for
seasoning, adding more salt, sugar or vinegar if needed.
Add more
mayonnaise or cream if mixture is too dry.
Use a
teaspoon to fill the egg cups.
Arrange on a
plate and sprinkle with chopped herbs or paprika, if desired.
*Pam's note: I sliced the eggs in half for two deviled egg cups per egg.
I am hooked on these deviled eggs… YUM!
Be sure to
visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind Of Cooking. She has unique tips on Tuesdays and
yummy recipes every Friday!
