EGG RECIPES: Deviled Eggs ... Old Fashioned Potato Salad ... Wasabi Deviled Eggs with Salmon Roe

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Straight-Up Deviled Eggs

1 dozen large eggs

13 cup mayonnaise

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup Dijon mustard

Zest of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Pinch garlic powder

2 to 4 shakes hot sauce

Salt

Smoked paprika or minced fresh chives

Fill a large bowl with cold water.

Place the eggs in a large saucepan or stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover then turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit for 15 minutes. Drain the eggs then transfer them to the bowl of cold water. Let them sit for about 10 minutes, or until cool to the touch.

Carefully peel the eggs, keeping the whites intact. Cut in half across the middle or lengthwise, depending on your desired final presentation. Use your fingers or a small spoon to gently scoop out the yolks into a medium bowl. Set the whites aside on a platter or deviled egg plate, then cover and refrigerate.

Use a fork to mash the yolks until all large pieces are broken up and smooth. Add the mayonnaise, butter, mustard, lemon zest and juice, garlic powder and hot sauce. Stir well. Taste and season with salt. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag or plastic zip-close bag and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving or leaving for a summer event, snip off the tip of the piping bag (or one of the bottom corners of a zip-close bag) and squeeze the deviled egg mixture into the egg whites. Alternatively, you can use a small spoon to fill the egg white “boats” with the yolk mixture, but the presentation is less attractive.

Sprinkle the eggs with smoked paprika for classic eggs, or chives for a fancier version. Serve chilled.

Yield: 24 halves.

Approximate nutritional analysis per half egg: 70 calories, 64 percent of calories from fat, 5 grams fat (2 grams saturated, no trans), 95 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, no fiber, 80 milligrams sodium.

Wasabi Deviled Eggs with Salmon Roe

8 large eggs

13 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons wasabi powder

2 scallions, white and light green parts, finely chopped

Salt

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons salmon roe

Place eggs in a pan in a single layer and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring water to a boil over high heat, cover pan, remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water to chill for 5 minutes.

Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Scoop yolks into small bowl and mash with fork until smooth. Stir in mayonnaise, wasabi powder and scallions. Season with salt.

Spoon yolk mixture back into whites. (At this point, eggs can be placed on a platter, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 day). Top each egg with ½ teaspoon salmon roe just before serving.

Yield: 16 pieces.

Note: Salmon roe, available in the refrigerator case near the fish at most supermarkets and fish markets, is a cheap and festive alternative to caviar.

Deviled Eggs

8 hard-cooked eggs

½ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Coarse salt and fresh-ground pepper

1 teaspoon minced parsley (optional, see note)

½ teaspoon paprika (optional, see note)

Peel eggs and cut in half crosswise (or lengthwise if you prefer). Carefully scoop out yolks, and arrange 12 of the white halves on a platter or tray. (Reserve remainder for another use.)

Process yolks, mayonnaise, lemon juice and optional seasonings in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain or star tip, and pipe carefully and neatly into egg halves. (Or use a plastic bag; see story.) Sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 hours.

Yield: Serves 12.

Note: Yolk mixture may also be seasoned with 1 teaspoon minced thyme, parsley, chives or dill; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1½ teaspoons sherry vinegar and/or, for a more “deviled” flavor, ¼ teaspoon cayenne.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 111 calories, 83 percent of calories from fat, 10.3 grams fat (1.9 grams saturated, 2.5 grams monounsaturated), 145.3 milligrams cholesterol, 3.7 grams protein, 0.9 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 85 milligrams sodium.

Old-Fashioned Potato Salad Recipe

4 cups cubed peeled potatoes

3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped green onions

½ cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender; drain. Place in a large bowl; add eggs, celery and onions.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over potato mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Yield: Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving (¾ cup): 241 calories, 16 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 95 milligrams cholesterol, 273 milligrams sodium, 20 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams protein.

Layered Potato and Egg Salad

POTATO LAYERS:

4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes

½ cup minced white onion

1/3 cup fresh lime juice, preferably Key lime

1 teaspoon aji amarillo paste (see note)

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

EGG LAYER:

9 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped

½ cup pimento-stuffed olives, minced, plus 1 cup olives, sliced

2 tablespoons minced capers

13 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of salt

¼ cup minced chives

Spray a 13-by-9-by-2-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Place whole potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook about 20 to 25 minutes, until knife-tender. Drain and let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel and place in a mixing bowl. Mash potatoes and stir in the onion.

Whisk together lime juice, aji amarillo, salt and pepper until the aji paste is dissolved. Whisk in oil. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture, stirring to combine well.

Combine the eggs, minced olives, capers, mayonnaise, mustard, pepper and salt in a medium bowl. Stir to combine well.

Spread half the potato mixture over the bottom of the prepared casserole. Spread all of the egg salad over the potato layer. Top with the remaining potatoes and spread to cover the egg layer. Garnish with olive slices and chives. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours before serving.

Note: Aji amarillo paste is made from a yellow pepper that is traditionally used in Peru. You can find it in Latino supermarkets. You can substitute sriracha to replace the heat, although the color won’t be the same.

Yield: Serves 12.

DEVILED EGG TIPS

• Older eggs peel much more easily. Check the date on the carton, or buy eggs a week in advance.

• To prevent unsightly green rings around the yolks, chill cooked eggs immediately.

• To prepare eggs up to two days ahead, refrigerate the filling and egg-white halves separately, wrapped in plastic or sealed in food-storage bags.

• If you don’t have a pastry bag, spoon the filling into a plastic food-storage bag and twist it to force the filling into one corner. Use scissors to snip off about ½ inch of the corner, and pipe away.

• If the eggs don’t sit flat, slice a sliver of white from the rounded bottom.

• Gourmet garnishes: Add an elegant touch to your eggs with anchovy fillets, caviar, crumbled bacon, sun-dried tomato strips, capers, curry powder, Kalamata olive strips, cooked shrimp or toasted cumin seeds.

HOW TO HARD-COOK EGGS

If you boil eggs, they will be rubbery.

Use this method instead:

Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Fill with cold water, covering eggs by 1 inch.

Bring water just to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove pan from heat immediately. Set aside, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes — 12 for just-set yolks and tender whites, 15 for firmer results. Transfer eggs with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. Crack shell into tiny pieces by gently pressing egg against a hard surface. Peel eggs under cold running water, starting at the rounded end (where the air sac is).

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