Monday, July 2, 2007

The Hamburger Goes High-End


Yawn...I wouldn't even cut and paste this story. Slow news day at fox?

Maybe I've just grown callous. After all, of the burgers I made and photographed is on a billboard here on the Central Coast. (Shrug) I'll eat my truffles straight Chef Boulud. Can I get Deviled eggs with truffles? (Great recipe with Miracle Whip)

Devilled Eggs with Truffles
by Daniel Wheeler (http://www.oregonwhitetruffles.com)
2 dozen eggs
1 ounce Oregon White truffles
1 6-oz. can chopped/minced olives
3 tbsps Miracle Whip dressing

Boil eggs in salted water for 12-15 minutes. Plunge into cold water to cool for 2 minutes. Peel while still warm, slice longitudinally. Remove hardened yolks. Blend into yolks the Miracle Whip and canned olives. Olive pieces should be less than 1/4-inch long. Spoon into egg halves.

Arrange artistically on a platter with contrasting garnish, such as Red peppers, Green beans, broccoli, and/or tomatoes. I like using cauliflower to continue the white of the boiled eggs.

Using a thin-bladed knife, slice truffles as thinly as possible. Use as garnish over the yolk-Miracle Whip-olive mixture, pressing down slightly. Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes, covered, before serving. The wait period allows the aromas to permeate the eggs. Use as hors d'oeuvres. Makes 48 devilled eggs.

Or there is a variation...from www.ideasinfood.typepad.com:

Yesterday I was reading about deviled eggs on Tigers and Strawberries. This morning as I was racing around the kitchen I put on a pot of eggs to boil. I didn't have any particular plans for them, I just had eggs on the brain.

Deviled eggs are not something that I grew up eating. I actually refused to eat yolks at all until well into my teens and only then if they were soft and runny as a dipping sauce for toast. My Aunt was a lover of yolks, so hard boiled eggs were divided bewteen us. I never understood her enjoyment of the hard cooked yolks with their chalky texture which melted into a thick palate coating puree. I just couldn't see the allure.

Alex, on the other hand grew up on Grandma Kitty's deviled eggs. When we had our catering company in New York, deviled quail eggs with various acoutrements were often consumed by guests with great enthusiasm. I was always amazed at how people responded to them. Deviled eggs were something that spoke to our clients, evoking memories of their childhoods which multiplied their enjoyment to the nth-degree. I discovered the simple pleasures of savoring the rich silky texture and slow blooming flavors of a deviled egg. As for plain hard boiled eggs, these days I hand all the yolks over to Alex. Some things don't change.

Anyway, as I was peeling the eggs I remebered how much Alex enjoys the deviled morsels. Perhaps my subconscious was headed in that diection the entire time. I split the eggs, consuming any broken or unsightly whites in the process. Then I mashed the yolks with creme fraiche, hot sauce, hot smoked paprika, a splash of sherry vinegar, salt and pepper. I piped these back into the whites and presented them to Alex when he returned from walking the dogs.

Never one to be outdone, he whipped open his reach-in and pulled out some leftover preserved truffles. He scattered the truffles over the deviled eggs and we've both been snacking ever since. It's one of thoses moments when we really appreciate the pantry of a professional chef.

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