Herbed Deviled Eggs

[b-man]

Herbed Deviled Eggs

Ever since I read a recipe for herbed deviled eggs by Silver Palate Cookbook authors Julie Rosso and Sheila Lukins almost 20 years ago, I've always made a point to include fresh herbs in my deviled eggs. I've simplified their recipe -- no more butter or edible flower petals -- but kept some of their revisions to the classic deviled egg recipe -- substituting sour cream for mayonnaise. Whenever I serve these eggs at a picnic, party or potluck, they disappear in no time flat.

INGREDIENTS:

6 eggs
1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs, plus 12 small sprigs for garnish
1/4 tsp. paprika, plus extra for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste


* You can choose whichever herbs you like, depending on your tastes and what's available. I most often use a combination of roughly equal parts tarragon, chives and dill, but curly parsley, basil, chervil and thyme have also made appearances in my eggs.I always try to have at least one vaguely anise-flavored herb (tarragon, basil, chervil) along with the fresh chives, and I avoid sage and rosemary, which tend to be too overpowering. If fresh chives are unavailable, you can substitute a smaller quantity of very finely chopped fresh scallion.

Time-Saving Tip: Hard-boil the eggs up to a day in advance and store, unpeeled in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble.

Place eggs in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. When water comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Rinse eggs under cold water to stop the cooking and cool the eggs.

Peel the eggs and then slice them in half, lengthwise and scoop out the cooked yolks into a bowl. Set whites aside. Crush yolks with a fork or pastry blender. Add sour cream and mustard and mix until smooth. Stir in fresh herbs and paprika. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon about a heaping teaspoon of the herbed egg mixture back into the hard-boiled egg whites.

Top each egg with an herb sprig and dust with paprika.

Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serves: 6 to 8

B-man