Crispy Deviled Eggs Salad

This is a variation on a recipe from NPR’s Splendid Table newsletter. Fresh young herbs and fresh arugula from my garden made a wonderful deviled egg. I had never fried a deviled egg before, but I sure will again! The eggs could be stuffed a day ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to saute them.

Eggs:

8 large eggs, hard-cooked and peeled

1 tsps Dijon mustard

2 tsps finely minced chives

2 tsps finely minced arugula

2 tsps finely minced roasted red peppers

2 tsps finely minced capers

2 to 3 tbls milk

2-1/2 tsps mayonnaise

1-1/2 tsps caper brine

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper

2 to 3 tbls olive oil

Dressing for Salad:

The leftover egg stuffing

3 tbl olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2-1/2 tbls milk

2-1/2 tsps white wine vinegar

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper

3 to 4 cups of your favorite spring salad mix, the one with arugula in it was very good.

1. Cut the hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and place them in a medium bowl. Reserve the whites.

2. Add the mustard, chives, arugula, capers, roasted peppers, milk, mayonnaise, and carper brine to the yolks. With a fork, crush everything together into a thick paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pack the mixture back into the hollows of the egg whites, so the filling is even with the surface of the egg, not mounded. You will have leftover stuffing (this becomes the salad dressing).

4. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Gently place the eggs in the pan, stuffed side down. Cook until the eggs are browned and crisped, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper as they cook.

5. As the eggs saute, combine in a large bowl the leftover egg stuffing with all the dressing ingredients. Add the salad greens to the bowl, and toss. Heap them on a serving platter.

6. Gently lift the eggs from the pan, turn them filling side up, set them on the greens, and serve.

These were delicious deviled eggs before they were cooked, and fried without making them into a salad.

Here is a photo of Erin’s finished version of fried deviled egg salad – you can visit her blog for fun reading and more recipes at www.betterwearahelmet.blogspot.com