“I like my deviled eggs cold, cold, cold,” chef April Bloomfield says. “They’re so refreshing that way. The key to the recipe is chilling the whites as well as the yolk mixture and making your own mayonnaise, which is much easier than you might think.”

And while Bloomfield, originally from England, is chef and co-owner of three restaurants in New York City, the Breslin, John Dory Oyster Bar, and the Michelin-starred Spotted Pig, a few of the recipes in her new cookbook, A Girl and Her Pig: Recipes and Stories, have a particularly Southern appeal. Her deviled egg recipe would be right at home at any Fourth of July cookout.

It’s an updated version of the picnic standard I remember from my Alabama childhood, and shows how a little extra attention to detail goes a long way with simple cooking.


Here’s the recipe:



Deviled Eggs

(makes 12 deviled eggs)


6 large eggs, at room temperature

3 tbsp. Mayonnaise (see recipe below)

1 tbsp. crème fraîche

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Maldon or another flaky sea salt

2 tbsp. finely chopped chives

1 tbsp. finely chopped chervil

Cayenne or paprika

Extra virgin olive oil (optional) for drizzling



Fill a medium pot at least halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Use a slotted spoon to gently place the eggs in the water, and cook them for 10 minutes (set a timer). Drain the eggs and run them under cold water until they’re fully cool.

Lightly tap each egg against the counter to crack the shell all over, then peel them and pat them dry.

Halve them lengthwise with a sharp knife. 

Press the yolks through a sieve into a small food processor. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, crème frâiche, and mustard, and process until smooth. Have a taste and season with salt.

 For really pretty eggs, feed the mix into a pastry bag (alternatively, you can make one with a large re-sealable plastic bag; snip off a corner before piping).



Pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes. Put the egg whites on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and put them in the fridge as well. Pat the whites dry with a kitchen towel, and pipe or spoon an equal amount of the yolk mixture into each white. Top each one off with a sprinkle of the chives and chervil, and a dusting of cayenne or paprika. If you like, add a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.



Mayonnaise

(makes about 1 ½ cups)


4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbsp. Champagne vinegar

½ tsp. Maldon or another flaky sea salt

Slightly more than 1 cup peanut or sunflower oil



Combine the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, and salt in a bowl, and whisk vigorously until the yolks go pale and the mixture is frothy, about 1 minute. Slowly, slowly, drizzle in a nice steady stream of the oil, whisking with a sense of urgency the whole time, until you’ve added all of it -- keep whisking until the oil is really well combined and the mayo is silky smooth and pale, barely-there yellow from the egg yolks. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.



From the book A GIRL AND HER PIG: Recipes and Stories by April Bloomfield with JJ Goode © 2012 by April Bloomfield.
Adapted courtesy of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Photo credit: David Loftus.