The following recipes are super-versatile. They could grace your Purim or even your Pesach table. They might even be candidates for an unusual shalach manos offering.
Before presenting my “eggciting” egg recipe, I’d like to weigh in on one of the most persistent kitchen controversies of all time: how to peel a hardboiled egg. You’d be surprised how strongly some people feel about their own tried-and-true methods. I have friends who swear by the running-under-cold-water method. Others make a pinprick or cut the egg shell in half and scoop out the inside with a spoon. (What? You haven’t heard of that? It is only for people who don’t care if the egg salad has crunchy bits of shell in it. I definitely do not recommend this method.)
I have tried a lot of ways over the years – for a while, I followed Julia Child’s method of putting the eggs in water, then turning on the heat for exactly 13 minutes – but, dear reader, as far as I can tell, there is no absolutely fool-proof way to ensure you can always peel your eggs easily. However, I have discovered a technique that has upped my chances of having a perfectly intact egg after peeling to a bit over 90%. I have not found anything that works better.
The biggest factor in determining whether or not you can easily peel your egg – wait for this! – is the temperature of the water when the eggs enter it. If the water is boiling, you’re going to have an easier time peeling. (This has to do with the egg coagulating away from the membrane of the egg.) So bring a pot of water to boil and then add the eggs, using either a spoon or a steaming basket. You can even drop them in, although a few will most likely break. Boil for 10 to 12 minutes. You can use cold eggs straight from the refrigerator or room temperature eggs. It makes no difference to the final product.
Here’s another method that produces equal and even slightly better results: steaming! Boil one inch of water in a pot. Place the eggs in a strainer and place the strainer in the pot. (You could also put the eggs directly in the pot with the one inch of water.) Cover the pot and steam for 12 to 15 minutes. There are two bonuses to steaming: 1) It’s faster as one inch of water boils faster to boil than a whole pot. 2) Steaming gently cooks the egg, and the egg whites are not as tough and rubbery!
After boiling, submerge your eggs in cold water – ice water is best, if you have it – for about 15 minutes. This allows the egg to firm up faster, helping the peeling process. And cooling the egg down quickly also prevents that “green tinge” that sometimes happens. The green film around the yolk is perfectly safe to eat; it just doesn’t look pretty. The green is produced through a chemical process that happens when the iron from the yolk combines with the hydrogen sulfide in the white. Seriously, fun science is everywhere. (Want me to come to your class and do an experiment? Send me an email.) The tinge does not affect the taste, but it’s rather unappetizing, especially to children. (Public service announcement: If the whites are green tinged, it indicates bacteria. This is bad. Toss those eggs out.)
After that rather long introduction, here is our recipe.
Hardboiled Pickled Beet Eggs
1 c. apple cider vinegar, plus 1 T., divided
1 16 oz. jar beets
1/3 c. brown sugar, plus a pinch, divided
1 T. peppercorns
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus a pinch, divided
1 small red beet, peeled and halved
12 hardboiled eggs, peeled
2 T. mayonnaise
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, tarragon, chives, plus more for garnish
1 tsp. miso paste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
In a medium pot, mix 1 cup apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons salt. Add the beet juice and bring to a quick boil, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour into a large heat-proof jar or bowl. Add eggs, stir, and refrigerate at least 3 hours (stirring occasionally) or overnight for a darker shade of pink.
When done brining, remove eggs from liquid. Halve the eggs lengthwise (reserving the whites) and gently transfer the yolks to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar, mayonnaise, herbs, and miso paste to the yolks and mix/mash until smooth. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer the mixture to a Zip-lock bag and snip off a small corner of the bag, then pipe the filling into the egg whites, letting the filling mound a little bit over the top. Sprinkle with additional herbs to garnish. Serve.
Roasted Red Grapes
Ilene Spector is one of my favorite people, and when she tells me a new recipe, my ears perk up; I can’t wait to try it. I demonstrated this recipe in front of The Associated’s Jewish Professional Women’s group and got the amazing Michal Katzir to be the first taste tester. I will tell you, it’s a winner – although, to be honest, I didn’t think I was going to like the recipe. I’d never heard of such a thing as roasted grapes, but when Ilene tells you it’s good, you know it’s good. These grapes are a great condiment to accompany meat, chicken, or pasta dishes. They can be used in salads and on charcuterie boards, toppings for crostini or avocado toast, and more. I just ate them right off the stem; they’re sweet and surprisingly delicious.
1 bunch of red seedless grapes, washed and dried (about 1 pound)
1 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar (optional)
Preheat oven to 450° F. Cut the big bunch of grapes into smaller bunches. (I use a scissors) Combine the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and toss with the grapes. Lay the grapes in one layer on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Sprinkle with sugar. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the bunches halfway through, until they are mushy/brown. Refrigerate until you need them and serve hot or cold.
Curried Tuna Salad with Peas
This can be served in an avocado half for a fancy presentation. You can find fresh watercress at Whole Foods. La Choy water chestnuts come in a can. You can serve the roasted grapes as a garnish to this dish. They are fantastic with tuna.
1 12-oz. can white tuna in water, drained
3/4 c. chopped celery
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. green peas, blanched
1 c. chopped watercress or water chestnuts
3 avocados, cut in half and pit removed
9 roasted grapes cut in half
1/4 cup diced red pepper
Mix the tuna, celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, salt, and pepper until combined. Add the peas and watercress or water chestnuts, stirring gently. Splitting the mixture evenly, fill each avocado half with the tuna mixture. Divide the red peppers for garnish on all 6 avocado halves, and top with 3 roasted grape halves each.
Glazed Hasselback Salami
This dish is crazy-easy and is gobbled up faster than someone can yell “boo” to Haman’s name. (Because of the mustard, this one is not for Pesach.) I first heard about this recipe from Cathy Dinovitz, who makes the most delicious dishes, seriously!
1 salami (32 oz.)
1/2 c. apricot jam
1/2 c. Dijon mustard
Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut the salami in slices without cutting through. (Two chopsticks, one on either side of the salami, will stop your knife from cutting through the salami. This is for aesthetic purposes only, so if you do cut through the salami – no worries – it will still be delicious. Put the salami on a parchment paper. Mix the apricot jam and Dijon mustard. Slather on liberally to cover the entire salami, including all the nooks and crannies between the slices. Bake for 30 minutes. Spoon sauce back over the salami and close the parchment paper to prevent scorching. Bake for another 30 minutes.
Contact Bracha Shor, owner of Sweet and Good, at bshor@sweetandgoodcatering.com. She will happily talk to you about your next event, the best things to put on charcuterie boards, and how awesome candied beef “bacon” is.
