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Stuffed Eggs Béarnaise

May 23, 2010 by The Runaway Spoon 8 Comments

IMG_4582 Stuffed Eggs Béarnaise

I believe that my mother’s favorite dish may well be stuffed eggs.  That’s what we always call them, not deviled eggs, because deviled somehow implies spicy and my mother does not do spicy. Stuffed eggs have always been an essential part of a family gathering, particularly Sunday after-church lunch at my grandparents’, with tomato sandwiches and fried chicken. We never had a real stuffed egg plate that I am aware of, but it is considered by most a Southern essential, and features on many a wedding gift registry.  I bought my own recently; it’s very modernist, but it’s the only one I’ve ever seen that holds 24 stuffed eggs, and if you are going to make stuffed eggs, use the whole dozen box!

But in my family, the real key to stuffed eggs is paprika.  Stuffed eggs without a generous sprinkling of paprika would have been considered inedible.  Stuffed eggs without paprika look nekkid.  Sweet paprika I should specify.  This tradition originated in the days before the variety of paprika now on the market was available; no pimenton, no smoked paprika, no ten degrees of Hungarian hot or sweet.  Just Paprika, in the McCormick jar with the green screw-top.  The folks at McCormick once wisely put out a series of ads in magazines charting the history of their spice packaging so you could figure out how old your spice collection was, and throw out those over two-decade old bottles.  That paprika jar at my grandmother’s house didn’t even make the chart.

I never thought paprika had any flavor until I went to Hungary and got a little punch-drunk ordering paprikas.  Now my pantry is stocked with imported Hungarian sweet and hot, smoked Spanish in a variety of depths, and they all figure regularly in my cooking.  But there is also still a simple jar of just plain Paprika in case some relative should stop by to inspect my full family credentials.  And of course, to sprinkle over stuffed eggs.

Stuffed Eggs Béarnaise

Classic stuffed eggs are usual made with jarred pickle relish, but I can’t stand the stuff, so I came up with the flavored with the tastes of classic Béarnaise sauce, and I have to say this is now the family standard.

1 dozen eggs*

2 -3 Tablespoons vermouth or white wine

1 small shallot

4- 5 sprigs fresh tarragon

3 sprigs parsley

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

paprika

parsley

Place the eggs in one layer in a large saucepan.  Cover with water by about 2 inches.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and boil for 7 minutes.  Remove from the heat and leave to cool until you can comfortably reach into the water and take them out.

Peel the eggs and rinse away any extra shell bits.  Pat dry.  Cut the eggs in half and gently scoop the yolks into a bowl.  Place the white halves on a platter (if not serving immediately, line the platter with paper towel).

Break the yolks up with a fork and sprinkle with the vermouth.  The yolks should absorb the vermouth with no liquid left in the bowl.

Chop the shallot very finely.  Chop the tarragon and parsley.  Toss into the bowl with the yolks and mash with a fork.  Add the mustard and continue to mash. Add the mayonnaise by spoonfuls, mashing after each addition until you have a thick but smooth filling.  You may use more or less mayonnaise than called for.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the yolk mixture into the white halves, pressing gently to fill.  Sprinkle with paprika.

These are best made shortly before serving.  You can boil the eggs as much as a day before, and several hours ahead separate the eggs and make the filling.   Store both in the fridge, the whites covered in paper towels to prevent condensation. Stuff just before serving.

*If you store the eggs in the carton on its side until you boil them, the yolks will come out perfectly centered every time. And eggs that are a bit older peel easier, so buy the eggs days before you want to stuff them.

Makes 24 stuffed eggs

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Filed Under: Breakfast And Brunch, Snacks And Starters Tagged With: bearnaise, eggs, mustard, Southern specialties, tarragon, vermouth

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Diane Miller says

    May 23, 2010 at 9:33 pm

    Stuffed eggs versus deviled eggs – funny how we grow up with little differences, family or regional differences and we don’t think about them until we are much older. My mother still calls lunch – dinner and dinner – supper and butter oleo.

  2. flour power says

    May 24, 2010 at 11:43 am

    They sound and look delicious. Personally I like dill better than paprika for decoration. Flavor, too.

  3. Sarah - A Beach Home Companion says

    May 24, 2010 at 4:13 pm

    Those are very fancy “stuffed” eggs, but I think as long as I didn’t call them “Bearnaise” no one would blink an eye.

    Now my question is: what else can I do with my paprika besides deviled eggs and goulash? I’ve got two full cans of Spanish sweet and a spicy.

  4. sweetbird says

    May 31, 2010 at 8:20 pm

    I agree with you about the need for paprika no matter the filling. I think my grandmother would have a heart attack if she ever saw a “deviled” egg of any kind without a sprinkle of the red stuff.

    I think that with all of these ingredients in my pantry right now I’m definitely going to have to try this out.

  5. Christopher Cina says

    June 11, 2010 at 2:52 am

    I was a little skeptical till I saw the tarragon, well done. My mother was famous for her deviled eggs in her group of friends, she never passed on the recipe, I loved them, so I will give yours a shot.

  6. Jean P. says

    August 6, 2010 at 4:43 pm

    You can tell we were both raised in the South! We never have a family gathering without the eggs, and they alway have McCormick’s paprika….it’s blasphemy without it. Mother has been known to “forget” to get them out of the fridge so we were guaranteed some leftovers.

    I love the tip about storing the eggs in the carton on their side, I have “NEVAH” heard of this…pure genius!

  7. Lillian says

    April 6, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    I always make my eggs with Durkee’s sauce and a little mayo And the paprika on top!

Trackbacks

  1. Pimento Cheese Stuffed Eggs « The Runaway SpoonThe Runaway Spoon says:
    April 9, 2014 at 10:37 am

    […] – I personally can’t abide the typical version made with pickle relish.  So I come up with variations that appeal to me, and hopefully everyone […]

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I'm P.C. I think I am like most people. Somewhere in the middle between food snob and food schlub. Just being in the kitchen makes me happy. I live, mostly in my kitchen, in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

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