Firefly chef Daniel Bortnick knew from the start that deviled eggs would have a home on his menu. “I wanted to pick foods that conjured good memories,” says Bortnick. “But I want guests to eat our take on the dish and say, ‘Don’t tell Grandma, but she never made it this good.’ ” We agree—they take top egg honors in our Best of Washington issue, currently on newsstands. Now, you too can give Grandma a run for her money.
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Deviled Eggs
Serves 10.
15 eggs
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon white-wine vinegar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, chilled
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup capers, drained and set to dry on a paper towel
½ clove elephant garlic, very thinly sliced
¼ cup whole milk
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the whole eggs in the pot and simmer for 9 minutes. Remove eggs and chill. Carefully peel the eggs and discard their shells. Cut the eggs in ½, preferably using a wire cutter. Remove the egg yolks and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the Dijon mustard, white-wine vinegar, chilled cream, salt, and smoked paprika and blend for 1 minute. Add the mayonnaise and purée until the yolk mixture is smooth.
In a large pot, heat the grapeseed oil to 300 degrees. Fry the capers in the oil (they’re done when the bubbling stops). Strain and cool the capers, reserving the oil. Place the capers in a coffee grinder and pulse to a fine powder. Reserve for dusting the eggs.
Place the garlic in a pot with the milk and bring to a simmer. Remove the garlic slices when they’re soft and tender—about 5 minutes—and dry on a paper towel. Discard the milk. Fry the garlic in the grapeseed oil until crispy. To serve, cover the cut side of egg white in the powdered caper and—using a pastry bag fitted with a tip or a zip-lock plastic bag with the corner cut off—pipe the egg-yolk mixture into the hollowed egg whites. Garnish each with a garlic chip.
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