There’s a meme floating around out there that reads thusly:
“Hey, wanna eat seven hard boiled eggs?”
“No, thanks.”
“I cut them in half and mixed some stuff in the yolks and stuffed ’em back in there.”
“Oh. Okay. Then yes.”
It’s funny because it’s true, and few would know better than famed chef Art Smith, whose Church Lady Deviled Eggs tower much like the fancy hats of the women who inspired the name.
“[Deviled eggs’] origin is credited to the French, but the southern United States has taken them to the bragging-rights level,” Smith told the Orlando Sentinel. “You could not attend a church social in my hometown of Jasper where there weren’t multiple platters of deviled eggs. The varieties are endless — and many times, the toppings or garnishes reflected the gardens of the women who brought them.”
Smith’s mother’s eggs, he admits, weren’t so lofty as those you’ll find at Homecomin’ Florida Kitchen & Southern Shine Bar, his namesake restaurant at Disney Springs, “but the base mix is still the same: egg yolks whipped with Duke’s mayonnaise, country Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice and hot sauce to taste.”
It was these that inspired me just a couple of weeks back to jot an egg sampler idea in my figurative notebook, but this week’s National Deviled Egg Day (Nov. 2), so serendipitously timed, pushed me over the edge.
Like most people, I do love a good deviled egg or five. And I make them at home, too. The basic recipe is simple, but it’s fun to embellish.
“My favorite variations include toppings with fried shallots, capers, pine nuts or crisped prosciutto,” says Smith. “In the yolk mix, try folding in mashed avocado or fresh hummus.”
Preparing them for notables, he says, can inspire creativity beyond the simple.
“I used to simply top with fresh herbs, but cooking for heads of state, Miss Winfrey, Florida Governors and others tends to make a chef get a little ‘cheffy’ with it. Those eggs began to rise with toppings to meet the occasion, and that stuck with me.”
Competition for the best deviled eggs, says Smith, goes way beyond church gatherings.
“And do you know that people, mostly women, putting their name on the bottom of the platter isn’t really about getting the plate back? It’s so the cook who made the deviled eggs can make sure everyone knows whose eggs they are.”
Smith loves watching folks in the fellowship hall pretend to raise up the platters as if the plate is what they are admiring.
“Oh honey, that just isn’t so. They are checking out the name underneath to size up the competitors!”
There’s some fierce competition here in town, too. Check out some of the egg-cellent options in the roster that follows.
The Southern Deli
Their popularity in the southern United States, says Christa Walton, is due to a variety of factors, including cultural traditions and regional taste preferences. But, says the owner of Apopka’s Southern Deli, affordability weighs in the mix, too. “It makes them a practical choice for large gatherings and social events in the South.”
More info: 2171 E. Semoran Blvd. in Apopka, 407-703-2076; thesoutherndeli.com
Soco
“People love our deviled eggs because they’re tasty little flavor bombs!” says Soco chef Greg Richie. “Between the horseradish and the pickled mustard seeds and bacon, they’ve got all the flavors and textures covered.”
More info: 629 E. Central Blvd. in Orlando, 407-849-1800; socothorntonpark.com
Luke’s Kitchen + Bar
They’re brunchy favorites at this Maitland favorite, featuring cumin lime crema, Fresno hot sauce, crispy corn nuts and cilantro.
More info: 640 S. Orlando Ave. in Maitland, 407-674-2400; eatatlukes.com
The Monroe
“We wanted to play with age-old “the chicken or the egg” adage,” says The Monroe’s executive chef Nikk Burton. “We landed on the perfect deviled egg, filled with Buffalo chicken dip and garnished with the classic pairing of smoky blue cheese and celery,”
More info: 448 N. Terry Ave. in Orlando, 407-734-2102; themonroeorlando.com
The Classic Thornton Park
It’s a sandwich take on the classic for Brian Minkel, who called it the Deviled Egg Smash for precisely the same reasons that meme hits home. “I wanted to put an egg salad sandwich on the menu because I love egg salad,” he told me in a recent interview. “But people were like, ‘I dunno, Man. Egg salad is weird.’ But every one of them said they loved deviled eggs.”
It’s a comfort food, for sure, he notes.
“You know someone loves you when they bring you deviled eggs,” he says. “Takes a bit to make and gone in seconds.”
More info: 805 E. Washington St. in Orlando, 407-730-5646; theclassicthorntonpark.com
