Devilishly Delicious Dyed Eggs (In No Particular Order)

By Caroline Clough in Food on Apr 18, 2006 1:00AM

Chicagoist is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a regular churchgoer but that didn't hold us back from enjoying three parts (we might argue that these are the best parts) of a traditional Easter Sunday. We boiled, dyed and deviled thirty eggs and enjoyed almost every minute of it. Jealous? Perhaps you were caught up in being an adult or traveling long distances to have dinner with the family. Or maybe you shun anything that resembles, even faintly, Christianity. We hope you aren't just an old curmudgeon who thinks dyeing eggs is just for wishy washy silly bodies. In fact, we beg you to reconsider your maturity, religion or overall grumpiness and run out to your nearest grocery store to pick up a dozen eggs and a dye kit (we're sure it'll be on sale). Actually, to be clear, we don't beg you to reconsider your religion ... we beg you to, in spite of your religion, dye some eggs.

Look at all the lovelies, blank as the day they were laid. Within two hours these eggs got a whole lot more interesting.

What you need:
1 dozen eggs
1-2 dye kits (we used a traditional kit and a 'swirl kit', we also purchased the sparkle kit but we highly recommend against it because it was both lame and dumb)
Crayons
Rubberbands

6+ tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
3 tablespoons wasabi powder
salt and pepper to taste
paprika or cayenne pepper as needed

What You Do:
1. Get a large pot and fill it with water.
2. When the water starts to boil gently place the eggs in the water with a spoon. Don't drop the eggs carelessly and try to let each egg have a little space all its own on the bottom of the pot.
3. Let the eggs boil for about twenty minutes then turn off the heat and allow to sit for an additional five-ten minutes. Place in an egg carton/the refrigerator until they are cool.
4. While the eggs are cooling or just before you are ready to start. Place some newspaper on your dyeing area. Then follow your dye kit's directions and start making your dye.

5. Proceed to dyeing your eggs however you see fit.

Here are a few of our favorites.

Once you have dyed all the eggs you want to dye and have fully admired your work it will be time to make yourself some deviled eggs. A few of our eggs weren't too happy about this, but we got them to forget their fate by instigating a fight (we asked them if it was better to be unhappy with a smile or without one).

Once the shells are off your eggs the deviling begins. Cut your eggs lengthwise then empty the yolks into a separate bowl. Put the hollowed out whites to the side. Chicagoist made six eggs in the traditional deviled egg style and six eggs with the added punch of wasabi. If you're going to go with the traditional it's as simple as adding the mayo, mustard, salt and pepper to the yolks and mixing until smooth.

If you're willing to try the wasabi, just add the wasabi powder to your yolk mix.

Use a spoon and gently reunite the yolk with their egg white halves. We garnished our eggs with capers and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper. Chill the newly deviled eggs until ready to serve.

A Few Variations To Consider
Instead of wasabi use curry powder.
Instead of mayonnaise, use ranch dressing.
Instead of garnishing with cayenne pepper, go for the super traditional and sprinkle with paprika.
Instead of capers, cut small green olives (with pimento) in half and use them as garnish.
Add scallion or red onions to your yolk mix.