This past Spring, my friends Nick and Sarah graciously agreed to my proposal of donating a night of Bourbon Cocktails and Deviled Eggs to an auction at Greenhill Center for North Carolina Art. The idea came to me after Nick, Sarah and I happened to be eating deviled eggs and drinking bourbon together. We thought it would be an awesome restaurant concept that would require too much liability insurance to cover the booze to egg ratio. So, the auction item was our best bet at the creative outlet.

This weekend, we delivered on our offer to a very nice couple and their friends. We served about 100 deviled eggs – 5 varieties – and a couple very delicious bourbon cocktails (recipes to come). Nick’s fantastic restaurant, 1618, made Ranchero Eggs and Caesar Eggs, and I made Pimento Cheese, Caramelized Bourbon Onions and a Hot Horseradish and Candied Bacon. All were delicious and devoured.

Here are the recipes I used. While deviled eggs seem to be at their most popular in the Spring, I find great joy in them year round. Add these to your list of ideas.

PIMENTO CHEESE:

With a stand up mixer, whisk the yolks to a smooth consistency. Add  mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white pepper and salt, and mix until smooth. Taste and season accordingly. Add a heaping bit, to your eye and taste buds, of pre-made pimento cheese (I won’t get in the politics of choosing a brand). Pipe mixture into egg whites.

Bourbon caramelized onion and mustard

1. Mince the onion thinly;
2. In a hot pan, cook the onion with a little bit of oil over medium-high heat;
3. Season with salt and pepper;
4. When the onions start to brown, add a tablespoon of brown sugar, reduce the heat to medium. Cook until dark brown.
5. Deglaze with two tablespoons of bourbon.
6. Remove from the heat when no more liquid is showing.
7. Fill the hard boiled white eggs with a mixture of mayo, Dijon mustard, salt and white pepper to taste.
8. Top with onions as garnish

Candied Bacon & Horseradish

CANDIED BACON:

• 1 pound Thin Sliced Bacon
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper

DEVILED EGGS:

• 18 whole Eggs, Hard-Boiled
• ½ cups Mayonnaise
• ¼ cups Strong Dijon Mustard
• 4 Tablespoons Extra Hot Horseradish
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 2 whole Green Onions, Quartered Lengthwise And Minced
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

For candied bacon:

Preheat oven to 350F. Lay bacon slices on a rack placed over a foil-wrapped sheet pan. In a bowl, mix the sugar and the tablespoon of cayenne. Sprinkle the bacon with the sugar mixture, then pat down so the sugar is evenly distibuted. Sprinkle with black pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, until crispy and browned. Turn the pan halfway to avoid burned spots.

When cool, cut into 1/2 inch slices and set aside.

For eggs:

Slice hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise and separate the yolks from the whites. Mash the yolks with a fork and mix in the mayo, mustard and horseradish. Mix in the teaspoon of cayenne and lemon, and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the onion.

Using a sandwich bag, pipe the yolk mixture into the egg white and grind a bit of black pepper on top.

Garnish with a 2 slices of candied bacon.