Deviled Eggs with Crispy Prosciutto

By stancec44

Most deviled egg recipes call for mayonnaise, but when you stop to think about it mayonnaise is just egg and oil! You already have the egg, which means it's easy to achieve a creamy filing by simply blending oil into the hardened egg yolk. I like to use olive oil, as it gives richer, more peppery flavor, but another more neutral vegetable oil, such as grapeseed or safflower oil, can be used if you prefer a milder deviled egg. Makes 24 halves

Ingredients

• 3 ounces prosciutto
• 12 eggs
• ~1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Kale or other greens (to prevent eggs from tipping over, optional)
• Parsley or other fresh herb, for garnish
• (My note: I also added a couple Tbsp. mayo - it made it smoother. I also used more than 1/4 c. olive oil, but that may have been because of our aridity.)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place prosciutto on cooling rack or baking sheet and bake about 10-15 minutes on each side, until crisp. Allow to cool and set aside. These can be made a day in advance.

While prosciutto is cooking, hard-boil eggs. My method of preference (because it's the easiest) is to place eggs into cold water that covers the eggs 1-inch, bring water to a boil, turn off heat and cover for 10-12 minutes, then remove and place in a cold water bath before peeling. Pro-tip: Buy your eggs a week in advance because older eggs are easier to peel.

Once eggs have cooled, peel off shells, slice in half, and scoop out yolk. Using a food processor, immersion blender, or fork, beat in olive oil and mustard until creamy (more or less oil may be needed to achieve creamy texture of preference). Add seasonings until desired taste is achieved, saving some paprika for dusting.

Another good trick to keep eggs standing up is to slice off a bit from the bottom of the egg white to create a level surface that the eggs can rest on.
Pipe filling into hardened egg whites and place on a platter. Kale or other greens can be placed underneath the eggs to help them stand up without tipping over.

Break off pieces of crispy prosciutto and stick 1 piece into each deviled egg. Dust with paprika, garnish plate with herbs, and store in refrigerator until served.