Elven Herb Garden Chive & Dill Deviled Eggs
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Down in the elven herb garden, little perennial sprouts are poking their heads up from the soil to begin life again in the spring! During these spring days when the warmth has returned, there is excitement in seeing the return of chives, dill, lemon balm, oregano, sage, and parsley after their long winter’s nap. The hens, who too often find themselves poking about in the garden as well, are delightfully back to their regular laying schedule. It is no wonder the egg has become a symbol for “new beginnings” during the spring! These deviled eggs are seasoned with fresh chopped chives and dill leaves giving them a fresh, bright flavor.
celebrating a new season:
Deviled eggs became popular as a shared dish in the early 18th century, and they were given this name because of their spiciness or “tang.” The eggs themselves are hard boiled, peeled, and cut to reveal the hardened yolk inside. The yolks are removed, mixed with ingredients to make them creamy and flavorful, and then piped back into the white of the egg.
This delicious deviled egg appetizer is something truly unique and perfect for entertaining at family gatherings, parties, and holidays. Generally, they are served at spring gatherings as the egg symbolizes new life, which is what we can see all around us right now as the world becomes new again in the spring. These nature inspired deviled eggs are the perfect way to celebrate the Spring Equinox!
gathering ingredients to make chive & dill deviled eggs:
To make the perfect deviled eggs, you will need to gather a few key ingredients. I flavored these deviled eggs with fresh spring herbs, dill and chives, that come back early in the season each year in my garden.
Eggs. Of course, to make deviled eggs you will need… eggs! However, picking the right eggs can be tricky. If you have laying hens like me, or purchase freshly laid eggs from a local farmer, then you might want to reconsider using those eggs to make your appetizer. Fresh eggs are more difficult to peel than eggs that are older. This is due to the shell membrane slowly contracting over time and the air cell inside of the egg becoming larger. Most of the eggs sold in the grocery store are 3-6 weeks old!
Mayonnaise. For this recipe I used mayonnaise to create a creamy filling with a delicious flavor. Any mayonnaise will work, though homemade is always best!
Sour Cream. Sour cream gives the filling some added tang and better structure for piping.
White Wine Vinegar. This gives the filling an acidic flavor profile. You can use distilled white vinegar instead if that is what you have on hand!
Fresh Chives & Dill. If you do not have access to fresh herbs, dried herbs will work just fine. I would suggest using only half of the recommended amount for each herb if you are using dried.
Smoked Paprika. To decorate the eggs, I recommend using smoked paprika. If you want, you can even use a spicier version for a hot egg!
tips for making perfect deviled eggs:
To make perfect deviled eggs, I have a few tips. It can be difficult to learn how to peel hard boiled eggs without having the white rip apart. I have a few little tricks that I follow, which requires some extra time, but they tend to work.
Use Older Eggs. Like I stated above, fresh eggs are more difficult to peel than older eggs. As an egg ages, the air cell inside of the egg between the shell and the membrane enlarges. As this happens, the membrane begins to contract and shrink away from the outer shell. When the egg is hard boiled, this makes the shell incredibly easy to just slip right off! As someone who raises laying hens for eggs, I have always had trouble with hard boiling incredibly fresh eggs even with my tricks!
Cover the eggs after boiling. There are various tutorials for hard boiling eggs. I like to boil mine over high heat for 20 minutes, turn off the heat, and then cover the pot for an additional 10 minutes.
Ice Bath. After the eggs have finished cooking, transfer them gently to a bowl of ice water. You may have to replace the ice as it melts. This puts the eggs into a cold shock so that they can chill more quickly in your fridge. They should sit in the ice bath for about 10 minutes.
Refrigerate. After the ice bath, place the eggs on a plate. Then, put them into the fridge for about 30 minutes and up to several hours. It is much easier to peel the eggs when they are cold rather than immediately after being boiled, and the shells come off in larger pieces.
Pat Dry. After peeling the eggs, I find that it’s a good practice to pat the whites dry. If you are dipping the eggs in a spice or even just plating them, they tend to be really slippery! Pat the whites dry with paper towels and then decorate away!
how to style the deviled eggs:
To style these nature inspired deviled eggs, I used a few interesting techniques. Rather than go for the classic horizontally cut egg, I decided I wanted them to sit upright! I thought that this looked rather cute, magical, and more visually appealing. Of course, you can decorate these eggs any way that you choose and with whatever fun toppings you may enjoy. The fun part is creating them!
Cut Off the Tops. Rather than slice the eggs in half lengthwise, I cut a bit off the bottom and about 1/4 off of the top of the egg to reveal the center. You want to make sure not to cut off too much of the top to ensure that your egg can sit upright and have enough room for the filling.
Pipe with a Piping Bag. Rather than spooning the filling into the centers, you can use a piping bag and French Star Piping Tip to pipe the filling inside of the egg. This makes filling the eggs much easier and it gives it a beautiful presentation!
Decorate with Spring Veggies. For these eggs, I wanted to stick within the theme of the spring season! I chose to decorate the tops with freshly sliced mini cucumbers, Easter Egg radishes, micogreens, chopped chives, and fresh dill sprigs. The flavoring of these deviled eggs works for any season, so the toppings can change to fit where you are!
final thoughts:
This whimsical deviled eggs recipe is sure to fill you with a magical feeling! I love creating fantasy inspired foods, and these beautiful Chive & Dill Deviled Eggs are just what I think of when I picture what an elven herb garden might look like. Don’t you think? These easy to make deviled eggs are the perfect appetizer for your next spring gathering.
xoxo Kayla
watch me make chive & dill Deviled Eggs:
Elven Herb Garden Chive & Dill Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) mayonnaise
- 2 tsp (10 ml) stone ground mustard
- 2 tsp (10 ml) sour cream
- 1 tsp (5 ml) white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp (3 g) chopped fresh chives, plus more for decorating
- 1 tbsp (3 g) chopped fresh dill leaves, plus more for decorating
- 2 tsp (12 g) kosher salt
- 2 tsp (4 g) smoked paprika, divided
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the eggs into a large pot of water. Carefully place the pot onto the stovetop and bring the water to a rolling boil. Boil over medium-high heat for 20 minutes. Then, turn off the heat and cover the pot for 10 more minutes.
- Fill a large bowl with ice water, enough to cover the eggs, and transfer the eggs to the bowl. Let them sit on the countertop for a 5 to 10 minutes. Then, place the eggs on a plate and refrigerate them for 20 to 30 more minutes.
- Once the eggs have been fully chilled, carefully remove the shells by tapping them around the center of the eggs and peeling the shell away with your fingers.
- Pat the peeled eggs dry with a paper towel to ensure that they aren’t slippery! Slice the eggs in half through the center rather than lengthwise. You can also slice off a tiny pit of the bottom so that they will sit perfectly on their ends. Remove the yolks.
- Push the yolks through a fine mesh sieve and into a large bowl, which helps prevent clumps from forming in your filling. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, sour cream, vinegar, chives, dill, salt, 1 teaspoon (2 g) of the smoked paprika, and the black pepper to the bowl. Whisk together until smooth and well blended. Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a large French star or large round tip.
- Next, sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon (2 g) of smoked paprika onto a small plate. Dip the rim of each egg into the paprika for a beautiful red coating.
- If you are not ready to serve the eggs, the egg whites and filling should be kept in a covered container and stored in the refrigerator. Deviled eggs are at their best when prepared about 30 minutes before serving.
- When you are ready to assemble the eggs, pipe the filling to the hollow center of each egg white. Decorate the tops with more fresh chives, dill, and edible flowers. Serve the eggs chilled.
- Tip: If you have laying hens like us or purchase your eggs from a local farm, it is best to use eggs that are older vs freshly laid eggs. The white of the egg on an older egg has started to detach from the inner wall of the shell, making them much easier to peel!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
90Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
