As I went through my routine this week I spent a good bit of time thinking about the coming Easter holiday, and probably like you, my mind works by jumping through a series of short two or three second snippets from the past. We've all got favorite memories associated with holiday gatherings, and I think reflection is a good thing when done in moderation.
I received a home movie compilation from my mother a few years back that was one of those deals where a company will take all of your old Super-8 film reels, splice them together and make a DVD with music in the background. One of the segments is of my two brothers and me as we walked out to the car in matching "Frank Sinatra" style suits, hats included, to attend Easter services back around 1959. (I was 6 at the time.) Our march to the car was made all the more dramatic as the Glenn Miller orchestra accompanied us with a rousing rendition of "String of Pearls."
Spring forward to 1997 as my 4-year-old son, Scotty, energized by copious amounts of jellybeans, chocolate eggs and those spongy little yellow chicks, walks over to me with a headless chick in hand and asks, "Dad, where does this giant bunny come from anyway and why does a bunny carry around eggs?" (He still asks a lot of tough questions at age 13.)
I don't remember exactly how I responded, but I think it involved the "magic" that accompanies most of the major holidays. I've told him during the years that there are some things you don't actually see but you just know are true in your heart. This year the magic won't be about Easter bunnies for Scotty. He'll be joining me as we remember just how much a carpenter loved us long before we were even born.
That's the Easter I'll be celebrating this April 8, an Easter filled with miracles and magic.
One of the signature dishes of this holiday will always be deviled eggs, and I continue to fiddle with my recipe in a quest for the "quintessential deviled egg" that I hope to enjoy sometime in my lifetime. Like the perfect hamburger and other noble pursuits, the really great ones take you back to basics - no fancy ingredients, just the right ones - in the correct proportions properly crafted.
I'm not saying this version is "the" version by any stroke of the imagination, but it is a very good one, and I think you'll enjoy the results. One suggestion I will make is that you prepare your filling when making deviled eggs and actually pipe it onto the egg whites right before you serve them. It doesn't take a long time to do it that way, but it does make a lot of difference. Deviled eggs made well in advance tend to get wet and flat, losing their texture and the subtle flavor characteristics that make them a standout next to the competition ... an important consideration if yours are just one of several versions out on the church dinner buffet!
Classic deviled eggs
(Makes 16 pieces.)
Carefully slice lengthwise in half:
8 large hard-boiled eggs that have been cooked and shelled
Remove the yolks to a separate bowl as you slice the eggs and place your halved whites on a platter. After carefully mashing the yolks, add:
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 teaspoons finely minced fresh chives
3 teaspoons cracked country-style mustard or Dijon style
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons finely minced shallots
1?2 teaspoon kosher salt
1?4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1?4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
a pinch of curry powder
6 drops hot red pepper sauce, or to taste
Mix all ingredients together until you have a smooth, consistent blend, and load your filling into a pastry tube with a large star tip for a more elegant effect or into a large freezer type Ziploc bag. Just before you are ready to serve, clip the corner on your Ziploc bag, if that's what you are using, and carefully pipe your yolk mixture onto the halved whites in generous quantities. Garnish with paprika and place your masterpieces before your adoring fans.
One note is that you may need to adjust your mayonnaise quantity a tad depending on the actual size of your eggs and the moisture content of your yolks.
The yolk mixture should be moist and light. Now while you're at it with the eggs you may have some younger Easter revelers who are champing at the bit for a good old-fashioned Easter egg hunt. When making dyed eggs, think of them as an artistic expression and not food. When hard-boiled eggs sit out at room temperature for prolonged periods of time they are no longer edible.
Place your hard-boiled eggs in a bowl. They should be cooled, washed and dried. On the stove bring just enough water to cover the eggs to just under a boil and add 1 tablespoon white vinegar for each cup of water. The vinegar sets the colors. Then add several drops of food coloring depending on the depth of color you wish to obtain.
I picked up on a recommendation from a fellow wine lover the Barefoot Cellars California Pinot Grigio this past week in the 1.5 liter bottle format and was truly amazed.
The wine has an opulent styling, not fat, but well focused and is very fruit driven. This means that you taste the best that the grape offers while enjoying great fruit/acid balance and a clean, refreshing finish that makes you want to come back for that next sip. This wine would be a perfect find for your warm weather enjoyment coming up and great with seafood, salad and as a sipper during those sunsets with your honey out on the deck.
I'll be working on some more ideas for your Easter this week. Get out there and start planning your fresh herb garden. This weather is a delight and is getting all of us so excited about spring entertaining. Let us know if you have any questions or comments. Cheers.
EDITOR'S NOTE - Jerry Allison, a native of Warren County in southwest Ohio, has been in the fine wine and fine dining field for 29 years in the South Florida and Chicago markets. He writes a weekly syndicated column, manages a fine wine business and is the executive chef for Winedog Fine Wines and Catering Services. You can visit his column archive at www.winedog.com and take your comments and questions directly to him at 888-288-0668 or email him at winedog@winedog.com. He has resided with his wife and two sons since 1999 in the country outside of Morrow.
Election 2010
