We’re almost there. The tree is up (hopefully), some of the presents are ordered. Maybe some are wrapped. I’m hoping you at the very least have partaken in a little glass of mulled wine with a mince pie chaser by now.
This scene all brings me to the thought of Christmas party food. I always have at least one small gathering at Christmas – even if it’s just nearest and dearest, it’s an opportunity to simply catch up, so hurried are our lives with after school clubs, work, just existing and getting through the days.
I am a big fan of retro party food. There’s really no need to be inventive at this time of year. People want nostalgia and homely comfort, which only familiarity, whether gastronomic or otherwise, can provide. So it’s up with the old battered Christmas decorations, on with the festive songs and out with the plates of sausage rolls, mini quiches and devilled eggs.
I’ve meddled a little with the classic recipe to bring it a little (though not completely, I mean these are devilled eggs) into the 21st century. There’s some Siracha hot sauce, there’s even a dot of Marmite, but I promise to the Marmite haters amongst you it’s purely for the depth and salt, not the taste. Of course, leave it out if you wish.
Serve these devilled eggs cold, on a platter, hey, maybe even on a hostess trolley if you’re going full retro. And these are one party snack you don’t need to feel guilty about; packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. Some might say they’re good for lining the stomach before an equally retro dash of sherry.
I made this recipe for British Lion Eggs, who have a fantastic website full of delicious egg recipes. You can see them here: www.eggrecipes.co.uk, they also have lots of recipes on Instagram (@egg_recipes and Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/eggrecipes/ )
Devilled Eggs
Make 8
- 4 large British Lion eggs at room temperature
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp soft salted butter
- ½ tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp wholegrain herb mustard
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp siracha hot sauce (or tabasco)
- The tip of a knife’s worth of Marmite
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped cress
- White pepper, to garnish
Place the eggs in a large pan of cold water. Bring to the boil, then immediately turn down to a simmer, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the pan and place into a bowl of very cold water, still in their shells.
Gently roll the eggs on the work surface to crack the shells, then carefully remove and discard. Cut in half lengthways, scoop out the yolks into a bowl and then cut a small amount of the egg white from the base of the boiled egg halves, so that they sit easily on the plate without skating about. You can eat these off cuts.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the yolk bowl, apart from the cress and cayenne pepper. Mash with a fork, then use a whisk to beat until smooth. Spoon or pipe into the egg whites, arrange on a plate and sprinkle with the cress and a little white pepper before serving.
This post was supported by British Lion Eggs.
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Holly Bell 