The Tasty Trick To Level Up Your Deviled Egg Whites
Deviled eggs are one of those perfect instances where adding a few simple ingredients to a food staple creates a Cinderella story. In this story, the humble hard-boiled egg gets glammed up and goes to the ball (or your next cookout or dinner party). While there's nothing wrong with a basic hard-boiled egg topped with salt and pepper, a deviled egg is a decadent up-leveled treat.
If you've made deviled eggs before then you know that there are two factors that take precedence during the cooking process. One is cooking the eggs just right, so you get the perfect texture. The other is making a dynamite-tasting filling since that's what truly separates deviled eggs from a standard hard-boiled egg. Sometimes, however, the focus on creating the perfect texture and the perfect filling for deviled eggs means that the egg white itself gets ignored, and that's a missed opportunity.
In an interview with Food & Wine, celebrity chef, Alex Guarnaschelli mentioned that she loves to flavor not only the filling but also the white part of a deviled egg as well. Guarnaschelli explains that adding seasoning and garnish to enhance flavor and texture can turn standard deviled eggs into a premium hors d'oeuvres. However, the egg white itself is the vehicle for the filling and is the first part of the dish that hits the palate. So why not make it appropriately delicious by adding textural coatings and flavorful spices to the outside?
Taking a play from Alex Guarnaschelli's book
To make her deviled eggs, Alex Guarnaschelli, explains that she likes to dust her whites with spices and seasoning before filling them. When you think about it, this technique seems like a no-brainer, but most deviled egg recipes only call for seasoning the entire egg after the piping in the filling.
When you realize you can make a deviled egg even tastier by flavoring the white part of the egg before you fill it, it means the possibilities are many and delicious. If dusting your egg whites with paprika sounds too simple, there are numerous spice and seasoning options you can use depending on what kind of direction you're taking your recipe.
Maybe you're doing a bacon deviled egg with a chive or dill garnish. You could dust your egg whites with Ranch seasoning in lieu of simple paprika. If you want to do a more herbaceous deviled egg you could coat your egg whites with a dried herb mixture like herbs de Provence, green goddess seasoning, or even a simple dusting of lemon pepper. Looking for a more smokey vibe? Try your favorite BBQ seasoning or spice rub. The possibilities are truly endless.
Play up the texture
Guarnaschelli also likes to play with texture when she's making deviled eggs. Not only will she season the entire egg, including the white, but she'll add garnish to the entire egg, not just the yolk-filled part. Why only add bits of bacon or scallion only to the yolk when you can set them on the white part too? It's flat after all.
Another Guarnaschelli pro tip? Dipping the bottom of the egg white in crushed potato chips to give it a bit of a crunch. Playing with texture can be a fun way to up-level food and it's a great way to surprise and delight your dinner guests. For the most part, a deviled egg is smooth and soft in texture, but adding bits of crunch here and there can be really satisfying. And why stop with crushed potato chips? You could crust the egg white with your favorite crushed corn chips or cheese crackers to add even more flavor to the dish. The great thing about deviled eggs is that the dish is comprised of many egg halves, so you can experiment with different flavors and textures each time you make them and decide which combinations you like best.