Nov 11, 2009

Deviled Eggs

Puréed as part of a creamy mousse, ham gives these deviled eggs a distinctive, savory character and a beautiful pink hue.

Credit: André Baranowski

12 eggs

 1⁄2 cup chicken broth 

1⁄8 oz. gelatin 

1⁄2 tbsp. unsalted butter

 1⁄2 tbsp. flour 

3⁄4 tsp. Dijon mustard

 1⁄2 tsp. sherry

 4 oz. cooked ham

 1⁄8 tsp. paprika

 1⁄8 tsp. cayenne 

Freshly ground black pepper

 1⁄2 cup heavy cream

Chervil leaves for garnish 

1. Boil eggs until hard-cooked; chill in ice water. Peel eggs and halve lengthwise; separate yolks and whites and chill both. 

2. In a small bowl, combine 1⁄4 cup of the chicken broth with gelatin; let rest for 10 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour to make a paste. Whisk in remaining 1⁄4 cup of chicken broth; cook until mixture thickens, 1–2 minutes. Remove pan from heat; whisk in reserved gelatin mixture, Dijon mustard, and sherry to make a sauce. 

4. In the bowl of a food processor, finely chop ham; add sauce, reserved yolks, paprika, cayenne, and pepper to taste. Purée until smooth; scrape mousse through a fine sieve into a large bowl and discard solids. 

5. In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold cream into mousse; chill. Spoon mousse into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip; pipe into reserved egg whites and garnish with chervil leaves. 

SERVES 6 