Grandma’s Deviled Eggs

We just had sandwiches for lunch. Grandpa was back down at the shop and Grandma, and I were watching TV in the living room. The conversation turned to sauces for sandwiches. I’ll just say this up front, mustard isn’t a favorite sauce around here. 

“Mustard is good on liver.” Grandma said, “Grandpa doesn’t like mustard at all.” She paused, thinking for a moment then continued, “he didn’t know I always use mustard with egg yolks.” She grinned. “Remember when I worked downtown? Your Dad made me dinner and decided to make deviled eggs to go with it. I came home after work to a nice dinner. He even had my wine poured for me.” She smiled, “it was so sweet of him. Except he told me the deviled eggs didn’t taste right.” Her eyes started to sparkle, “and he couldn’t get them to set up-right. He didn’t cut them right.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, I didn’t know there was a wrong way to cut eggs. “You know? The eggs didn’t lay flat with the yolk filling on top, they just flopped over on their side.”  Then I understood. He’d cut the egg crosswise instead of lengthwise. It is hard for an egg to stay upright on its pointy end when cut across the round middle, but it lays naturally on its side when cut across the oval from pointy end back. I chuckled, imagining my dad trying to balance those boiled and peeled eggs filled with yolk-mayo sauce on a saucer for his sweet-heart. And to top it all off, those deviled eggs didn’t taste right. “That’s when I had to tell him I used mustard to make the eggs taste so good.” she said. “He started to like mustard?” I asked. She shrugged, “kind of. With eggs. He still prefers ketchup. And you know, his special sauce.”

Grandma’s Deviled Eggs

4 (or more) boiled eggs, peeled

Dusting of paprika (optional)

Yolk sauce made from boiled eggs.

Basic Yolk Sauce:

4 (or more) yolks from boiled eggs

4 (or more) level teaspoons mayonnaise

pinch of dried powder (or squirt of liquid prepared) mustard

Salt & Pepper to taste

Dribble of pickle juice or vinegar (optional)

Cut peeled boiled eggs lengthwise so the two halves are oval and lay flat when opened up and laid on their un-cut surfaces. Carefully, to keep the egg white intact, scoop out the yolk and put it into a small (cereal) bowl. Set the boiled egg whites aside on a pretty serving plate then make Basic Yolk Sauce. To the boiled egg yolks add 1 level teaspoon of mayonnaise per yolk and the mustard. Smash the yolks together with the mustard and mayonnaise until it is smooth. If the sauce is too thick add a dribble of pickle juice or vinegar or more mayo or even water (these are your deviled eggs-make them how you want to make them). Taste; add salt & pepper; taste again; when you are satisfied spoon the sauce into the waiting egg whites on the pretty serving plate. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and serve to Grandpa.

Note: This basic yolk sauce can be used as a dressing for almost any starch salad like potato salad, pasta salad, cold grain salads. I even use it on lettuce salad when I have it available. Egg yolk contains huge nutritional benefits especially if the hens are allowed to eat yard bugs. For paprika substitutes I like ground achiote powder, dried ranch dressing herbs, a pinch of dried parsley. Almost every herb & spice goes with eggs.  

Note 2: Grandpa Truman’s Sauce = 1 part ketchup + 1 part mayonnaise      

In 2000 Michele Priddy left the work force to become a stay-at-home mother and wife. Being a one-income family in today’s society meant she had to learn to budget quickly. Food became a priority early because she wanted the children to have the best nutrition, she could offer them even on a budget. She also taught cooking classes on how to stretch the food dollar with simple ingredients at various churches in her community. Michelle has put her kitchen strategies and recipes in booklets, her church newsletter and in her hometown newspaper, The Goldendale Sentinel. We hope you will enjoy her strategies, stories, and recipes. You can contact the Leavenworth Echo at Reporter@leavenworthecho.com or 509-548-5286 if you have any questions or comments for Michelle.