Deviled Eggs with Basil Aioli

 

For his birthday, the Engineer asked me to make deviled eggs. I wanted to try a new-to-me recipe, so I looked at this one on Orangette. I changed it a bit, using the basil aioli right into the yolk mixture instead of as a topping; I also now like to buy hard-boiled eggs and save myself that extra step, which makes the whole process infinitely more approachable. These were great! 

Shortcut basil aioli (yields a generous ½ cup) 

2 Tbsp. olive oil 

¼ cup packed basil leaves 

½ tsp. lemon juice 

1 medium garlic clove, pressed 

1 pinch of salt 

½ cup mayonnaise 

In the jar of a blender (or a small food processor or with a stick blender), combine the olive oil, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Process until the mixture is smooth, pausing every now and then to scrape down the side of the blender jar with a small spatula or spoon. 

Put the mayonnaise in a small bowl. Add the basil mixture and stir well to mix. 

Any basil aioli not used in this recipe can be served as a dip for raw vegetables, spread onto sandwiches, or folded into chicken salad. 

For the deviled eggs 

12 large eggs (see note above) 

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

2 Tbsp. jarred capers, drained, rinsed, and dried well 

6 Tbsp. basil aioli (see above) 

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 

½ tsp. lemon juice 

¼ tsp. salt, or more to taste 

Hard-boil the eggs. (As I noted above, I like to buy hard-boiled eggs, but here’s how Molly Wizenberg boils hers. Put them in a large pot, so that they can sit in a single layer. That’s important. Add cold water to cover by an inch or two, and place the pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; then immediately cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Let sit exactly 12 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water.) 

Warm the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot and runs easily around the pan, add the capers; they should sizzle. Fry, shaking the skillet occasionally, until they split open and start to crisp, about 3 minutes (they should not brown). Fish them out of the skillet, leaving the oil behind, and drain them on a paper towel. 

When the eggs are fully cool, cut them in half (Molly Wizenberg likes to cut hers crosswise, but I cut mine lengthwise). Carefully remove the yolks and put them in a medium bowl. Trim a tiny sliver off the rounded end of the whites, so that they will sit upright when you serve them (I didn’t bother); then set them aside. Using a fork, mash the yolks. Add the aioli, mustard, lemon juice, and salt. Mash and mix until smooth. Taste, and adjust as necessary.

Just before serving, spoon the filling into a pastry bag, and pipe the filling into the egg white halves. If you don’t have a pastry bag, spoon the filling instead. Top the filled eggs with a few fried capers (I preferred the eggs without capers, but I’m in the minority group in my household).