Easter's Best Stuffed Eggs: Here's A Recipe You Should Try

Easter and food go hand in hand. Who doesn't like a nice baked ham, creamy and buttery mashed potatoes, and a wonderful serving of a rich, dark chocolate cake? And no, I did not forget the eggs. Eggs must be a part of the feast, but too often they are neglected and cooked poorly, ending up in the refrigerator as leftovers, only to be thrown away the following week.

Because I don't want that to happen in your home come April 16, here's what you should do to make eggs the most interesting dish on your table for Easter 2017: You should make Madame Begue's Stuffed Eggs.

It's a great recipe from Poppy Tooker, one based on a dish served at Begue's, a 19th-century restaurant in New Orleans that was popular with dock workers, who were regulars at Begue's single meal of the day, which was served at 11 a.m. These so-called second breakfasts were perfect for the workers, who were just finishing their shifts and needed sustenance. Some think this is where the concept of "brunch" originated.

Madam Begue was Elizabeth Kettenring, who came to the U.S. from Germany in 1853; she opened a restaurant in 1863 named Dutreuil's, then married Hippolyte Begue after her first husband died. The restaurant's name was changed, and her stuffed eggs dish entered history. Madam Begue died in 1906, but her recipe lives on.

Tooker is a New Orleans-based culinary activist, radio and TV host, and cooking instructor, and the author of "Louisiana Eats." She wrote the forward to and updated Begue's seminal “Madame Begue’s Recipes of Old New Orleans Creole Cookery.”

Here is Tooker's take on Madame Begue's stuffed eggs. I've made these eggs numerous times — adding a few personal tweaks — and love them. What makes them so different? You won't find mayonnaise and pickle relish. Instead, softened butter and blanched carrots provided a "sweet and colorful accent."

Madame Begue's Stuffed Eggs

Ingredients

• 12 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon Creole or spicy brown mustard
• 2 tablespoons finely diced carrot
• 1 scallion, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
• Kosher salt
• Hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
• Paprika
• 12 slices of good ham, sliced in half

Directions

1. Place the eggs in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches; bring to a vigorous boil. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit, covered, for about 8 minutes. Prepare an ice water bath. Transfer eggs to the bath and let them cool completely, 15 minutes or so.
2. Peel eggs, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the yolks. In a bowl, use a fork to mash the yolks, adding the the butter and mustard. Stir in the carrot, scallion, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1-1/2 teaspoons Tabasco, adding more to taste. Mix well and taste again.
3. Transfer the filling to a zip-top plastic bag and cut off one of the corners. Pipe the filling into the egg whites. Sprinkle paprika on the filling and top each egg half with one folded slice of ham. (You can also put the pieces of ham on the egg first, then pipe the egg filling on top.)
4. Dish can be prepared 24 hours in advance. Store in the refrigerator, covered. Return to room temperature before serving, because the flavor will be richer at this temp.

If you have a nice boiled egg serving platter, use it at the table. If not, a large oval platter will suffice.

Comment below if you make the dish for Easter and let us know how you liked the recipe!

Image: Poppy Tooker (how2heroes.com)