Have you finally used up all the colored Easter eggs? At my house, I set out to make an old favorite recipe for using hard-boiled eggs—huevos dobles, “double” eggs, so-called because they have eggs on the inside and eggs on the outside. They are stuffed, napped in croquette batter, dipped in beaten egg then coated in crumbs and fried.
Something went wrong. I think the coating batter (béchamel) was too thick, because it just didn’t adhere to the eggs. Believe me, I tried various remedies before I walked away from that fiasco, leaving lumps of stuffed eggs and congealed béchamel in the fridge overnight.
Next day, I didn’t even try to start over, but turned my ingredients into a completely different dish. I put the deviled eggs in an oven dish and spooned thinned-down béchamel sauce over them. A little grated cheese and under the broiler for a few minutes.
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| Eggs are stuffed with ham and spinach, deviled with hot pimentón. Coated with béchamel, they are browned under the broiler. |
Those eggs were delicious! Definitely worth cooking up some eggs just to make them. I served them as a starter with salad greens. A day later, I reheated remaining eggs on a bed of spinach with a thinned-out blob of béchamel and called it lunch.
“Deviled” is the terminology for spicy flavorings, such as mustard and/or cayenne. These stuffed eggs have, not cayenne, but spicy-hot pimentón (paprika). You can use either smoked or unsmoked pimentón. Caraway seeds are a brilliant addition to the egg stuffing. Use either serrano or cooked ham in the mix. For a vegetarian version, omit the ham and increase the chopped onion and spinach.
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| Serve these stuffed eggs bubbling hot or room temperature. |
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| Serve eggs as a starter. Or, maybe, brunch? |
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| Stuffing has chopped spinach and ham. |
Stuffed Eggs Gratin
Gratinado de Huevos Rellenos
Gratinado de Huevos Rellenos
6 hard-boiled eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion or scallions
2 tablespoons finely chopped ham
½ cup chopped spinach
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon hot pimentón (paprika) or pinch cayenne
Pinch of caraway seeds, coarsely crushed
1 tablespoon milk
Bechamel sauce (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated cheese
Additional pimentón to finish
Additional olive oil to drizzle on top of eggs
Peel the eggs and cut them in half. Remove yolks and place them in a small bowl.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion or scallions
2 tablespoons finely chopped ham
½ cup chopped spinach
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon hot pimentón (paprika) or pinch cayenne
Pinch of caraway seeds, coarsely crushed
1 tablespoon milk
Bechamel sauce (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated cheese
Additional pimentón to finish
Additional olive oil to drizzle on top of eggs
Peel the eggs and cut them in half. Remove yolks and place them in a small bowl.
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| Stuffed eggs. |
Heat the oil in a small skillet and sauté the onions 2 minutes, until softened, but not browned. Add the ham and spinach. Cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted and any liquid is cooked off. Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the yolks. Add the salt, mustard, pimentón, caraway and milk. Mash the yolks until fairly smooth. Press the mixture into the hollows of the egg whites, mounding it slightly.
Preheat broiler. Lightly oil a shallow oven dish.
Place the eggs in the dish, separating them slightly. Spoon béchamel sauce over the eggs. Sprinkle the tops with bread crumbs and grated cheese. Sprinkle with a little pimentón and drizzle oil on top of eggs.
Preheat broiler. Lightly oil a shallow oven dish.
Place the eggs in the dish, separating them slightly. Spoon béchamel sauce over the eggs. Sprinkle the tops with bread crumbs and grated cheese. Sprinkle with a little pimentón and drizzle oil on top of eggs.
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| Minutes under the broiler to gratin the eggs. |
Place the eggs under the broiler until the sauce is bubbling and browned on top, about 4 minutes. Serve the eggs hot or room temperature.
For the béchamel sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 ¼ cups milk
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of hot pimentón
Combine the oil and flour in a small saucepan. Cook it, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the milk until mixture is smooth. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Season with salt, pepper and pimentón. Cook the sauce, stirring, 4 minutes.
For the béchamel sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 ¼ cups milk
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of hot pimentón
Combine the oil and flour in a small saucepan. Cook it, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the milk until mixture is smooth. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Season with salt, pepper and pimentón. Cook the sauce, stirring, 4 minutes.
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| Here are the "double eggs," that didn't work out this time. |
More recipes for stuffed eggs:
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