Who cares which one came first?...Deep fry those little devils!

It was probably about a week ago when I first heard about this bit of outrageous deliciousness from a co-worker. Ready?

Deep fried deviled eggs!

I was immediately intrigued by the thought and since Easter was coming up, well- I had the perfect excuse to try them out!
After buying the eggs, I boiled them and shelled them- only lost just a few to horrible peeling. LOL
(A quick tip about peeling eggs my mom told me is to drain the boiling water, carefully, and then crack all of the eggs by swirling the pot, and add cold water over the eggs. Let them sit for a few minutes and the shells will usually peel right off!)

After halving them and putting the yolks in a separate bowl, I started working on the deviled part.

To my bowl of eggs I like to add some spice. Usually I change it up depending on how I feel that day, but for this I went with some standard favorites: mustard, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried mustard powder, celery seed, dried dill, and mayonnaise.
I never really measure the amounts I put in, I start mashing, and tasting, and adding, and mashing, tasting, and adding.. until it is yummy.

Putting the filling in the refrigerator, I turned to the deviling and frying part. According to my co-worker, he uses a flour/egg wash/breadcrumb coating. I started with the same, but changed to panko breadcrumbs because I like them better. Let me tell you - I had 18 people to feed, and had boiled three dozen eggs, now I had to bread 72 halves! I was frustrated after number two, for a couple of reasons. First- egg whites are delicate little flowers and don't really like to be picked up and dredged. LOL Secondly, the fingers that are dredging are immediately cased in flour and egg paste- getting larger with each dredge- I had to stop multiple times to de-bread my fingers!

However, I finished them while the deep fryer was reaching temperature, (I set it at 375 degrees) and there started to be a promise of deep fried goodness in the air.

Setting the first batch in the basket, I slowly lowered them into the fresh oil...

Five minutes of anxious checking later I had this...

It was a start, and they were so crispy! The breading was beautiful golden. Working in batches, I put the deviled filling in a pastry bag and started piping in to the crusty shells. So pretty if I do say so myself!

Here is a close up of them so you can see the texture.

I decided to add some toppings: jalapenos, paprika, dill, sea salt, and a balsamic finishing vinegar. (Haven't heard of them before? keep looking for my next blogs- I was gifted with a bunch of them! yeah!) 

After rushing them warm to the Easter dinner (these were the appetizers), I FINALLY got to try one.......YUM!  Crispy and golden on the bottom with the rich filling, and the tang of the topping. My dad declared them a winning recipe, and a new staple for the big family dinners! I may have created a bit of a monster.  A big thank you to Sim!

Next time I might try a beer batter on the whites, easier to do. will keep you all updated on the results Anyone out tried the batter fry on these? Let me know.

So go on out and try these yourself- I would love to hear how yours turn out.

Update on the book- still in the potential agent's hands... Two weeks down, and turn around time is about six weeks. I am trying hard to learn patience. LOL But I console myself each day that at least I haven't gotten a rejection yet. Haha

Follow your dreams everyone, and as always:

Live Peacefully. Cook Fearlessly.

Chris