Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (61 page)

There's enough stress in life that we cannot escape; why invite it into your kitchen—or your next party? The whole key to cooking when it comes to entertaining is keeping it simple. Just like the holiday meals and my family's recipes that are included in this book, all of the tasty treats in this chapter are low maintenance and foolproof and are just as appropriate for a cocktail party or first course of a big dinner as they are for an afternoon of watching old movies or the big game.

STUFFED EGGS

I love deviled eggs; they are my signature appetizer. Instead of cutting them in half lengthwise I cut just enough off the top to remove the yolk and serve the stuffed eggs whole. Still, even the above-average devilish egg becomes a bit of a bore after a while so I like to play around with the flavors in the stuffing. These are some of my favorite variations. To fill the eggs, spoon the egg yolk mixture into a plastic food storage bag and squeeze it into one corner. Snip a small hole in the corner of the bag and pipe the filling into the egg whites. For perfect hard-boiled eggs every time, put the eggs in a saucepan, reserving the egg carton. Cover the eggs with cold water and bring to boil over high heat. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the eggs stand for 10 minutes. Drain off the hot water and refill the pot with cold water to cool the eggs completely. Drain the water out of the pot, place the lid on the pot again, and shake the pot to crack the eggs. Peel the eggs under gently running cold water.

MAKES 1 DOZEN

Cut the fat rounded ends off the eggs, scoop the yolks into a bowl, and stand the hard-boiled egg whites upright in the egg carton. If you prefer to serve the eggs on a platter, trim a small piece of egg off the pointed ends so they will stand upright.

Place the ham in a food processor and grind or very finely chop it. Add the ham to the yolks along with the mayo, mustard, hot sauce, and relish. Grate 3 to 4 tablespoons of onion directly over the bowl so that all of the onion juice falls into the eggs. Add the parsley, dill, and salt and pepper. Mash everything together to make a smooth filling, adding a little extra mayo if necessary.

Overstuff the eggs; you will have plenty of filling.

MAKES 1 DOZEN

Cut the fat rounded ends off the eggs, scoop the yolks into a bowl, and stand the hard-boiled egg whites upright in the egg carton. If you prefer to serve the eggs on a platter, trim a small piece of egg off the pointed ends so they will stand upright.

Break the egg yolks up a little bit using a fork. Add the olives, mayo, mustard, and hot sauce. Grate 3 to 4 tablespoons of the onion into the bowl so that you catch all of the onion juice. Add some salt and pepper to the yolks, then mash until smooth and check the seasonings.

Fill the eggs, overstuffing them a little. Garnish with a dash of paprika.

MAKES 1 DOZEN

Heat the EVOO in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the pancetta on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Cut the fat rounded ends off the eggs, scoop the yolks into a bowl, and stand the hard-boiled egg whites upright in the egg carton. If you prefer to serve the eggs on a platter, trim a small piece of egg off the pointed ends so they will stand upright.

Break the egg yolks up a little bit using a fork. Grate the garlic into the bowl, then add the crispy pancetta, the cheese, mayo, pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce. Mash until smooth and check the seasonings.

Fill the egg whites, overstuffing them a little. Garnish with parsley.

MAKES 1 DOZEN

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Cut the fat rounded ends off the eggs, scoop the yolks into a bowl, and stand the hard-boiled egg whites upright in the egg carton. If you prefer to serve the eggs on a platter, trim a small piece of egg off the pointed ends so they will stand upright.

Bake the bacon on a slotted pan for 15 minutes, or until crisp. Drain and cool the bacon on paper towels, then chop it fine.

Break the egg yolks up a little bit using a fork. Add three quarters of the chopped bacon, the mayo, paprika, and mustard. Grate 3 to 4 tablespoons of onion and juice directly into the bowl, and add the hot sauce and salt and pepper. Mash and taste the filling for seasoning, adding salt to taste if necessary.

Fill the egg whites, overstuffing them a little. Garnish the eggs to look like BLTs. Trim the ends off the tomatoes, then cut each tomato into 3 slices. Top each egg with the remaining bacon bits, some chopped lettuce, and a slice of tomato.

Deviled Ham and Eggs
,
Uptown Stuffed Eggs with Caviar
,
Caesar Stuffed Eggs

MAKES 1 DOZEN

Cut the fat rounded ends off the eggs, scoop the yolks into a bowl, and stand the hard-boiled egg whites upright in the egg carton. If you prefer to serve the eggs on a platter, trim a small piece of egg off the pointed ends so they will stand upright.

Break the egg yolks up a little bit using a fork. Add the mayo, mustard, lemon juice, and Worcestershire. Grate in about 3 tablespoons of onion and juice, working directly over the bowl. Season the filling with salt and pepper, mix to combine, and check for seasoning.

Fill the egg whites, overstuffing them a little. Garnish the eggs with small dollops of crème fraîche and caviar and sprinkle with chives.

This is the one I am famous for, and it's by far my most requested stuffed egg. It tastes exactly (or, eggs-actly) like a Caesar salad.

MAKES 1 DOZEN

Cut the fat rounded ends off the eggs, scoop the yolks into a bowl, and stand the hard-boiled egg whites upright in the egg carton. If you prefer to serve the eggs on a platter, trim a small piece of egg off the pointed ends so they will stand upright.

Break the egg yolks up a little bit using a fork. Grate the garlic directly over the bowl, then add the anchovy paste, Parmigiano, mayo, Worcestershire, lemon juice, pepper, and half the finely chopped lettuce. Mash until smooth and check the seasonings.

Fill the egg whites, overstuffing them a little. Garnish with the remaining finely chopped greens.

MAKES 1 DOZEN

Cut the fat rounded ends off the eggs, scoop the yolks into a bowl, and stand the hard-boiled egg whites upright in the egg carton. If you prefer to serve the eggs on a platter, trim a small piece of egg off the pointed ends so they will stand upright.