Food for Thought Rick Ellis’ Stuffed Eggs Makes 24
1 dozen large eggs 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon cayenne Coarse salt and ground white pepper Finely snipped fresh chives for garnish 1. Place the eggs in a pan large enough to hold them in 1 layer and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and let sit 15 minutes. Drain and run under cold water until eggs are completely cool. 2. Peel the eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and rub through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the mayo, mustard and butter, and mix until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, cayenne, and a generous amount of salt and white pepper. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip (or jury-rig out of a plastic zip-top bag with a corner snipped off). 3. Pipe the filling into the egg white halves and sprinkle with chives.
Deviled Ham with Toast Points Makes 2 cups
About 8 slices best-quality white sandwich bread 2 cups (about 1/2 pound) chopped cooked city-cured (baked) ham 1 tablespoon minced onion 2 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard A small pinch cayenne An even smaller pinch ground mace (optional) 1 tablespoon minced sweet pickle 2 tablespoons mayonnaise or unsalted butter, softened to room temperature Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1. Heat oven to broil and set rack about 6 inches from heat. Put the bread slices on a baking sheet and broil until pale golden and crisp on top, about 1 minute or so. Flip the slices and broil until pale golden on other side, about 1 minute. While bread is still hot, trim crusts and cut into triangles or strips. Once cool, the toast points will keep in an airtight container up to 1 day. 2. Purée the ham until smooth in a food processor. Scrape it into a bowl, then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Pack the deviled ham into a small crock and refrigerate, covered. OH Jane Lear was the senior articles editor at Gourmet and features director at Martha Stewart Living.
44 O.Henry
April 2019
The Art & Soul of Greensboro