Happy new year, southern style
For a number of years now, Robert and I have enjoyed cooking up a southern new year’s day dinner featuring the traditional foods of pulled pork, hoppin’ john, collard greens and cornbread. Last year we were sick with COVID, and sick at heart over the Marshall Fire, so we missed out on our little family tradition but we were set on reinstating it for 2023.
Preparing for this year’s meal, I discovered that I have yet to document my deviled egg recipe … yikes! Today’s post will feature that recipe and also my mother-in-law Rebecca’s cole slaw recipe. The pie pictured above is Ina Garten’s Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie and we recommend it 100%.
Courtney’s Deviled Eggs
Don’t get me wrong, I like a traditional deviled egg — but this one is kind of special. It was a happy accident resulting a plentiful dill harvest and a shortage of yellow mustard one summer years ago.
Ingredient list
[Notes: This recipe is for 8 eggs, adjust amounts if you do more. The Duke’s mayo and the TJ mustard are essential; the fresh dill is strongly recommended but you can get away with dried dill – if using dried, reduce the quantity, it’s much stronger]
- Eggs (always boil two more eggs than the number you mean to end up with)
- 1/2 teaspoon each white pepper, Iodized salt, ground mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons Trader Joe’s Garlic Aioli mustard
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons each yellow mustard, Duke’s mayonnaise
- 1-2 Tablespoons (to taste) minced fresh dill
- Capers
Instructions
- Boil eggs. We place the eggs in a cold pan with cold water. Once boiling, let them boil [high altitude: 2 minutes; ‘regular’ places, one minute] then cover and remove from heat. Let them sit 15 minutes.
- Peel eggs, being careful to remove all membrane and leave eggs intact. Cut peeled eggs in half, putting yolks in a small metal bowl. If an egg won’t peel or the yolk is situated such that one half won’t ‘carry’ the filling, retain the yolk and discard the white.
- Using a fork, crush the yolks together until they are fine and powdery with no large lumps.
- Add pepper, salt, onion powder, and ground mustard to crumbly yolks and mix to combine.
- Add Duke’s to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with spatula. Then add yellow mustard and TJ mustard, mixing thoroughly at each step.
- Finally, add the dill. The final consistency of the filling should be similar to icing – not too stiff. If your filling becomes very stiff, you may need to add more TJ mustard. If your filling is too runny, you really need more yolks so I guess hope that doesn’t happen??
- Fill the egg halves with the filling – some people like to use a spoon, but I prefer a fork as I think it’s easier to gauge. I use a sort of circular approach to folk the filling down into the egg half with the fork.
- Once filled, top each egg with a caper or two. Voila! You’re done.
Rebecca’s Cole Slaw
Ingredient list
[Notes: Once again, Duke’s mayo is essential!]
- One small to medium green cabbage, grated
- 1/2 onion (small), grated
- 1/2 teaspoon each white pepper, Iodized salt
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Duke’s mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh dill
- Juice of one lemon, squeezed
Instructions
- Quarter the cabbage. Using a box grater in a metal bowl, grate cabbage by quarters leaving out/skipping the core and stem. On a box grater, use the medium sized side.
- Grate approximately half the onion into the bowl (adjust to taste)
- Add salt, pepper, Duke’s mayo and vinegar and stir to combine.
- Add dill and mix. Taste before adding lemon juice (I just cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice in with my hand).
- Mix thoroughly to combine, then chill for at least an hour before serving.