Deviled Eggs

ANCHOVY EGGS

6 hard-boiled* eggs**, shelled

2 tablespoons mashed anchovies

1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet pickled onions

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

mayonnaise

12 flat anchovy fillets

Carefully cut eggs in half, preferably using a serrated knife; separate. Carefully remove the yolks, leaving the whites intact.

Force the yolks through a coarse sieve, mash gently with a fork or use a potato ricer if you have one. Place yolks in a small bowl and blend them well with the mashed anchovies, onion, pepper and enough mayonnaise to make a paste.

Spoon the mixture into the whites. Lay one or two small strips of anchovy fillet across the top of each filled half.

Any deviled eggs are best made the day you plan to serve them. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve; serve the eggs cold.

The above recipe for Anchovy Eggs is adapted from one which appeared in Gourmet in 1970. Even if you do not like anchovies, some of your guests are guaranteed to love them. However, since that varies so, it is best to combine the Anchovy Eggs with "regular" deviled eggs to give people who are less fond of anchovies a choice. An alternative excellent version of deviled eggs omits the anchovies and uses Gulden's brown mustard in the paste, plus a bit of salad dressing for a binder, and has paprika sprinkled on top of the filled eggs.

These recipes have been kitchen tested.

**A note about eggs: Brown shells are thicker than white shells, and thus more crack-resistant, making them ideal for hard boiling.

*To hard cook eggs, following The Joy — place eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water*** about an inch over the eggs. Set electric cooktop temperature to medium-high and heat until water starts to rapidly boil; or adjust gas burner to medium high temp. As soon as water begins to boil, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes. After twenty minutes, pour out the water and add cold water to stop the cooking. Drain eggs carefully and dry. Gently crack eggshells and separate shells from egg white and yolk. (***Not everyone agrees; have read a recommendation to start the eggs in water that's already boiling, which supposedly helps keep the shells from sticking to the eggs -- which is what makes them difficult to peel. You'll just have to see what works best for you!)
Whichever method you choose, prior to boiling, make a pinhole in the tip of the egg to keep the shell from cracking due to trapped air.

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