Pink Peppercorn Deviled Eggs

This is my version of a dish Devon and I enjoyed on many slow and boozy summer afternoons at the Esquire Tavern on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. It's also a fine basic recipe for deviled eggs dressed up however you like.

Everybody likes deviled eggs, and once you master hard-boiling the eggs they’re a snap to make (see my note below).

Using the same basic ratio of mayonnaise and butter to 1 dozen egg yolks, this filling is infinitely variable. I find that whatever other flavorings you use, a bit of shallot or scallion and either cornichon or sweet pickle relish is a good start. Finally, of course, you could top the eggs with practically anything (or nothing at all) in place of the pink peppercorns.

Ingredients #

Instructions #

To make the Deviled Eggs #

Carefully cut each egg in half lengthwise and scoop out the yolk. Place the yolks in the bowl of your mixer, and gently set the whites aside on a plate or bowl (or place them gently in an airtight container if you are making these ahead of time).

To the yolks, add the butter, mayonnaise, Dijon, minced cornichon, cornichon brine, minced shallot, minced jalapeno, and pink peppercorn. Cream with the mixer until the mixture is very light and creamy. Add a pinch of salt, a good amount of black pepper, and a few dashes of Tabasco. A bit of seasoned salt is good too. Mix and taste, and adjust seasonings accordingly. The filling of a deviled egg should be highly flavored, as the whites are quite bland.

If you’re making these a couple of days in advance, press plastic wrap down onto the surface of the filling to prevent crusting, tightly cover the bowl with more plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Seal the whites in an airtight container and refrigerate. When you’re ready to fill the eggs, take the filling out at least 20 minutes before. Once it’s soft enough to stir, mix it thoroughly to make sure it’s smooth and soft.

If you’ll be serving shortly, scatter the arugula or greens over your serving platter and arrange the whites on top (otherwise, prepare a plate or tray large enough to hold all the egg whites and arrange them for filling). Place the filling into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (a plain tip works well too, and this whole procedure is entirely optional — you can just spoon the filling into eggs, but piping gives a neat, elegant result for special occasions). Pipe a rosette of the filling into each egg.

At this point, you can hold the eggs until you’re ready to serve. Using toothpicks to prevent it from resting directly on the eggs, cover the platter gently with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

When you’re ready to serve, drizzle the pink peppercorns over the eggs so that each egg has 3-4 of the bright red peppercorns and a few drops of the flavorful syrup. Some peppercorns will be scattered on the greens as well, which makes for a beautiful presentation — the bright red and green on a white platter are especially nice for holiday parties.

To make the Pickled Pink Peppercorns #

Place the peppercorns in a clean, heatproof small jar. Combine the vinegar, sugar, water and salt in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and simmer, swirling occasionally, until everything is fully dissolved. While hot, pour the brine over the peppercorns. Seal the jar, allow to cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least a couple of days (although of couple of weeks is ideal).

About Hard Boiled Eggs #

There are as many “secrets” to hard-boiling eggs as there are cookbooks, but none ever worked reliably for me — even if the eggs were cooked properly, peeling them was torturous and always produced whites with mangled exteriors.

What I have found to be almost foolproof is to use an electric pressure cooker (an “Instant Pot” or other brand) and a simple “5-5-5” method. Place 1 dozen large eggs on the steamer rack in the pot. Add 1 cup of water, set the valve to “sealing” and set the pot for 5 minutes at high pressure. When that finishes, let the pot naturally vent (just sit there) for 5 more minutes. Release the remaining pressure and immediately remove the eggs to a bowl of ice water, where they’ll rest for 10 more minutes. I find that the eggs are not only perfectly cooked with no green ring (as long as you stick to the timing!), but they also peel more easily than you would have imagined possible. This method is also quick, and you could easily cook several dozen eggs in 30-40 minutes.

The only other bit of advice I have is that older eggs peel more easily, so if you can, buy them at least a week in advance and store them in the refrigerator — although the Instant Pot method seems to solve the problem of tough-to-peel eggs in any case.