Originally posted April 11, 2006.
Since Easter is coming up, and since someone just emailed me asking for my fool-proof way to hard-boil eggs, I thought I'd share my method. Follow the instructions and you can't go wrong. (Cuz nothing is grosser than eating an egg that has been tinted an alien shade of green-blue from where the dye seeped through the cracks.)
If you have a surplus of hard boiled eggs, you can do the following:
- make deviled eggs (my friend Darlene makes the best deviled eggs. She adds baby shrimp to the mashed egg yolks before stuffing them. You can also add a little smoked salmon and chopped fresh dill. Or top with caviar if you're feeling luxe.)
- Make crostini. There is a recipe in the Deborah Madison Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone book that is essentially toasted bread shmeared with black olive tapenade and then topped with a circle of hard-boiled egg. So simple, and so good.
- Make Salad Niçoise. Sear some tuna steaks. Arrange some boiled waxy potatoes, crisp-cooked green beans, sliced tomatoes, hard-boiled egg wedges, and salad greens on a large plate. Scatter with capers, niçoise olives, and flat-leaf parsley. Top with the tuna steaks. Pass some mustardy, tarragon vinaigrette. (Or do what I do, and toss each ingredient [except tuna] with some vinaigrette before arranging on the plate.
- Make egg salad sandwiches. Pass eggs through an egg slicer first one way, then carefully quarter-turn and slice again. Mass chopped up egg with mayo and mustard to taste. Squish between slices of toasted white bread. Or, to be even more decadent, spread one slice with egg salad and one slice with tuna salad. I grew up eating the tuna and egg salad sandwiches on light rye from Draeger's Market in Menlo Park, Calif. Yum.
Have fun with your Easter Eggs!
[photo credit: Stefania Pomponi Butler]
Wow, those are gorgeous!
I'm jealous. Every year I look at the latest egg-decorating design in Martha Stewart's magazine, dream a little bit, then never make them.
Maybe this year...
Posted by: Karen | April 02, 2007 at 06:18 AM
cool photo! I make deviled eggs and add a cube (fresh made then frozen in ice cube size portions) of pesto!
AND I make it every Easter! Love your site!
Posted by: janelle | April 02, 2007 at 10:54 AM
Thanks for the tip! Would love to know what's on the menu for your Easter brunch/dinner.
Posted by: Jmom | April 03, 2007 at 07:27 AM
No Easter eggs at my house - but I did make up some pickled eggs this year.
Coloring eggs was one of my most favorite activities as a youngster...the dye would color our fingers for days!
Posted by: Kat | April 03, 2007 at 02:08 PM