Recipe: Hot Deviled Eggs with Spicy Crumb Topping

HOT DEVILED EGGS

"The spicy crumb topping dusted over these eggs serves as the white bread component of the Nashville-style hot chicken experience. The hot sauce, mustard, and cayenne blend for a layered heat, while the pickle adds snap. The inspiration for the spicy crumb topping came from a garlic toast version I read about on A Farmgirl's Dabbles blog."



1 dozen eggs
For the filling:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 teaspoons cayenne hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons minced dill pickle
For the garnish:
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
Pinch of ground cumin
1/4 cup (30 g) bread crumbs
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Dill pickle rounds, cut into wedges for garnish
Paprika

Hard-cook the eggs by placing them in a saucepan, covering them with water, and bringing the water to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and cover it. Allow the eggs to sit in the water for about 15 minutes.

Make the filling:
Slice the eggs lengthwise and drop the yolks into a medium bowl; arrange the egg white halves on a platter.

To the yolks, add the Dijon, mayonnaise, hot sauce, cayenne, and chopped pickle by mashing the mixture with the back of a fork. Set it aside in the refrigerator.

Prepare the garnish:
Combine the cayenne, brown sugar, and cumin with the bread crumbs in a small bowl. Heat the oil over medium and then toast the spiced bread crumbs for about a minute.

Fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture, top each one with a triangle of pickle and a sprinkle of paprika. Dust the eggs and platter with the spicy bread crumbs for color and crunch before serving.

Makes 2 dozen pieces
Source: Nashville Eats: Hot Chicken, Buttermilk Biscuits, and 100 More Southern Recipes from Music City by Jennifer Justus. (Abrams Books; October 2015; ISBN: 978-1617691690).