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These Brown Butter Deviled Eggs with Crispy Capers and Hazelnuts aren’t your Grandma’s deviled eggs you’ll find at any backyard barbecue, but they are just as addictive. Full of tangy dijon mustard, creamy mayo and nutty brown butter, these guys are elegant enough to serve at a fancy cocktail party, but easy enough to eat at your Easter buffet.
The deviled eggs your find at backyard barbecues and Easter buffet lines are delicious, obviously. In fact, when I was a kid, I loved them so much I was limited to only three by best friend’s Mom because she knew I’d likely snake my way in between the buffet line and inhale the entire platter before the majority of guests could get snatch a few for themselves.
These days, at those same backyard barbecues and holidays, I still grab one (just one) both for nostalgic purposes and because I know they’ll still taste delicious, but I can’t help but be a little bored with the same simple preparation.
I think it’s safe to say it’s due to the overconsumption of them in prior years, and I’m constantly cursing my childhood self because of it.
However since deviled eggs have become a trendy snack on hundreds of restaurant menus across the country, I’ve sort of come into a newfound love for them. Whether they’re topped with truffles or whipped up with buffalo sauce and blue cheese, the deviled egg seems to have taken on a new identity – they can be anything you want them to be.
Today, I’ve taken a lot of the same classic ingredients that go into a traditional deviled egg and added just enough of a twist to make them new and exciting. Instead of whipping plain deli mustard into the silky egg yolks, I swapped it with plenty of tangy Dijon mustard. Low-fat mayo (I rarely find it necessary to use full-fat) remains a key ingredient, but melted brown butter becomes another prominent flavor in the mix.
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve shoved brown butter in your face, I think the last recipe I used it in was this Mushroom & Goat Cheese Gnocchi, so I feel like it’s been an appropriate amount of time in between and I’m in the clear to bring it out again. I just love the underlying nutty flavor it adds to dishes, and in this case, the way it compliments the rich egg yolk and spicy Dijon mustard.
For me, a key component in the perfect deviled egg is having a silky-smooth texture, and there are two ways to achieve that. First, you can hand press the egg yolks through a fine sieve, which is what I lot of restaurants do. But because I’m lazy and just don’t have the time for that I opt for the other method – the food processor. Just throw all the ingredients in, turn the mixer on let the blade do the work.
Also, I like to hard-boil extra eggs to ensure plenty of pretty of filling in each egg, so don’t hate me for wasting the egg white. Once the filling comes together, it’s transferred to a plastic baggie with the end cut off and then piped into each egg. You could also use a pasty bag fitting with a fancy tip, but honestly it’s not necessary.
Each egg is sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts and crispy capers, and they’re ready to be served.
Brown Butter Deviled Eggs with Crispy Capers and Hazelnuts
Ingredients
- 10 large eggs
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp light mayo
- 1 1/2 tbsps dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp capers
- 3 tbsp chopped hazelnuts, toasted
Equipment
- stock pot
- Mixing bowls
Instructions
- Add eggs to a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a rapid boil and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the eggs sit for 15 minutes. Run the eggs under cold water and then peel eggs. Split in half and remove yolks. Discard two of the halves.
- Add butter to a small skillet. Turn the heat on medium-high and melt butter. Once the butter starts to brown, swirl the pan. Keep swirling the pan until the butter turns a deep brown color. Transfer all but 1/2 tablespoon of the butter to a small bowl and cool, leave the rest on the skillet.
- Add yolks to a food processor. Add mayo, dijon and brown butter you removed from the pan. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Use a paper towel to pat the capers completely dry. Heat the remaining butter up over a medium-high heat. Add capers, fry until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- Add filling to a small ziplock bag. Cut the tip off and pipe filling into egg whites. Garnish with crispy capers and chopped hazelnuts.
Nutrition Information
Stella says
I just made these. They are excellent and look delicious. Thanks!