Recipe

Hard Cooked Eggs, Lime Aioli and Dukkah

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Hard Cooked Eggs, Lime Aioli and Dukkah

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by AntoniaJames

Hard Cooked Eggs, Lime Aioli and Dukkah

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by AntoniaJames

  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Use of Aioli
  • BlueKaleRoad's Testing Notes: I made the canape version of this recipe and oh, was it divine! I couldn't assemble the canapes fast enough for my family. The combination of eggs, aioli and dukkah is terrific. AntoniaJames...

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  • Chef

    AntoniaJames's Notes: This recipe gives you several options for using lime aioli with hard cooked eggs and the Egyptian spice, seed and nut mixture known as “dukkah.” In each case, you hard cook and cool the...

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Makes about a cup of aioli

The Lime Aioli:

½ - 1 teaspoon minced garlic Ask a question about this ingredient

½ teaspoon salt Ask a question about this ingredient

Yolk of one large egg, which is at room temperature (This is an important detail.) Ask a question about this ingredient

2 teaspoons lime juice Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon water Ask a question about this ingredient

1 - 2 teaspoons coarse brown mustard (optional) Ask a question about this ingredient

½ cup of grapeseed or other neutral oil Ask a question about this ingredient

½ cup of tasty olive oil (I’m partial to the California arbequinas.) Ask a question about this ingredient

  1. Mash the garlic with the salt to a paste using a mortar and pestle. Put the mashed garlic in a bowl wide enough easily to accommodate a large whisk.

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  2. Drop in the egg yolk, lime juice and water (and mustard, if using), and whisk vigorously.

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  3. Continue to whisk while adding a few drops of oil at a time. I use a cruet from the restaurant supply store that’s designed for tabletop use for vinegars, hot oils, etc. It has a single small hole on the top, which releases at most two drops at a time unless you really shake hard. I find it perfect for this. Also, I use an OXO bowl with a rubber bottom that hugs the counter, which keeps the bowl from jumping around, as I let the oil drop from the cruet in my left hand, while whisking with my right.

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  4. Add single drops of oil at a steady rate as you continue to whisk. Once about 1/3 of the oil has been incorporated, and you’ve whisked a good long time (and the fragrant yellow stuff in front of you has gotten nice and thick), it’s okay to drizzle the oil at a slightly faster rate, i.e, in a slow, but light stream, as you continue whisking.

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  5. Keep this up until all of oil is incorporated, and the mixture is fairly thick.

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  6. Refrigerate immediately and use within a few days, at most.

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  7. Enjoy! ;o)

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  8. N.B. I use the basic ratios described in Michael Ruhlman's "Ratio" for this aioli.

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The Canapés, Deviled Eggs and Dukkah:

Hard cooked eggs, peeled Ask a question about this ingredient

Thin baguettes of French, sourdough or artisanal bread Ask a question about this ingredient

Aioli, to taste Ask a question about this ingredient

THE DUKKAH: Ask a question about this ingredient

2 heaping tablespoons raw sesame seeds Ask a question about this ingredient

2 tablespoons lightly roasted pumpkin seeds (or, more traditionally,¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed, or roasted garbanzos) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon grains of paradise Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt Ask a question about this ingredient

  1. TO MAKE THE CANAPES: Slice the eggs lengthwise. You should get three or four slices.

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  2. Then slice the baguette, cutting at an angle that will yield ovals about the size of your cooked egg slices.

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  3. Toast the slices of bread. While still warm, slather with aioli, then layer on a slice of hard cooked egg.

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  4. Gently spread on each egg slice another good dab of aioli.

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  5. Then sprinkle generously with dukkah. (See steps 9-14, below.)

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  6. TO MAKE THE DEVILED EGGS: Slice the eggs in half lengthwise.

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  7. Remove the yolks, press them through a fine strainer, and mix with enough aioli to give it a consistency similar to that of a creamy mashed potato.

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  8. Fill the cavities in the egg whites first with a small pinch of dukkah and then with the yolk and aioli spread. Generously sprinkle more dukkah on top. (I spread the filling over as much of the surface of the egg white half as I can, so that I can get more dukkah on each piece.)

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  9. TO MAKE THE DUKKAH: Toast the sesame seeds in a small heavy skillet. Remove and partially crush using a mortar and pestle, just enough to release a bit of fragrance.

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  10. Finely chop the toasted hazelnuts (or garbanzos, or pumpkin seeds). When using pumpkin seeds, I just pulse them two or three times in my electric spice mill, and don't worry about the few left whole.

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  11. Toast the cumin seeds and the coriander seeds, separately, in a small heavy skillet just until fragrant. Watch carefully, and remove immediately, lest they burn.

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  12. Crush the seeds using a mortar and pestle, or by pulsing an electric spice grinder. They should be coarse, and not fine.

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  13. Combine all of the ingredients in the mortar and pestle and pound lightly a few times. Give the blend a few final good stirs, to combine. It should smell divine.

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  14. Store any leftover dukkah in the refrigerater, tightly covered.

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  15. Enjoy!! ;o)

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  16. N.B. A more casual treat is simply to slather a bit of aioli on a piece of homemade sandwich or other bread, then cover with a layer of hard cooked eggs, then a few generous pinches of dukkah, and then another slice of bread. Voila! The tastiest egg sandwich you will have eaten in a long time.

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32 Comments on Hard Cooked Eggs, Lime Aioli and Dukkah

John-george-brown-xx-eating-the-profits-1878 Reply

These are great little canapes, AJ. I like finding new ways for the humble boiled egg. Anothe good way to combine eggs with dukkah if you really like it in generous amounts is to brush the outside surface of the peeled egg with some sort of a thin binder (aioli should work) and roll it whole in dukkah. Then either segment or have it as is.

Ab_sum Reply

These are really quite brilliant. I made them for company this weekend. They are delicious.

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Thanks so much, SG. I'm so glad you and your guests (who, I am quite certain, are regularly treated to great food when at your house) enjoyed them. ;o)

Fb Reply

I tested your recipe as an EP candidate and LOVED it! Your dukkah is lovely and I'm sprinkling it on everything (including my morning oatmeal). My family all enjoyed the canapes and they will be making regular appearances at our summer parties. The lime in the aioli was a nice touch, too. Thanks for sharing such a marvelous recipe!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Thank you, BKR, for the EP review and for these kind comments. I hope you do continue to make them. Dukkah, especially when combined with hard cooked eggs, is one of those magical ingredients that, once I discovered it, had me asking myself, "Where has this stuff been all my life?!" ;o)

Reply

I saw this recipe and ran SCREAMING to my husband to order the Grains of Paradise, which he did. Can't wait to make this. Sadly, I used to call myself the Deviled Eggs Maven but now I must pass on the mantle. Can not wait to make this.

Me Reply

I was going to submit a deviled egg recipe with roasted garlic aioli but am now too humbled to do so -- this is INCREDIBLE!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Thank you, wssmom! Like you, I'm humbled by so many of the others. The aioli + dukkah makes great egg salad, by the way. I've been eating this combination all week and still want more! On a sandwich with my Everyday Potato Bread (posted here, but spiked with wheatgerm and a bit of barley and whole wheat flours) and a fist full of watercress .. . it was simply to-die-for. I would have posted that, too, but have been so busy with my business, family, and the rest of my life in general. ;o)

Sunflower_profile Reply

I've only ever used dukkah on meat - this is a great idea! I have some left from some lamb chopsicles I made for a party! Will make these for a Mediterranean dinner next Friday.

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Thanks, Burnt Offerings! I like to sprinkle dukkah on dals/creamy lentil stews and soups, and swirl it into creamed soups, like a tarkah, in which case I put it into a bit of warmed ghee first (to make it swirl-able). Great stuff! How did it ever take me so long to discover it? I'm so glad you'll be putting this idea to good use. ;o)

Sunflower_profile Reply

oooo - tarkah?? - I need to know about this. Yes - I'm hosting our Home Owner's Association annual dinner meeting next Friday, and it's a potluck with a Mediterranean theme in my garden (weather permitting), so everything from Italian, to Middle Eastern to Greek is up for grabs. The lamb chopsicles with dukkah and pomegranate molasses dipping sauce were awesome, but too $$$ to do for a party this size. But eggs and dukkah? NOW we're talking!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

I've got some pumpkin seeds roasting in the oven right now, destined for a non-nut variation, for sprinkling on roasted root vegetables, also in the oven, to be served with a spatch-cocked braise-roasted chicken with preserved lemon, olives, fresh thyme, aromatics, etc. (also in the oven). Stay tuned. . . .
For a great, Mediterranean style potluck dish, try this one courtesy of the quite talented (Andrew) Baber, who attended both our spring and fall food52 gatherings last year. http://www.food52.com/recipes/7563_caramelized_onion_thyme_proscuitto_and_goat_cheese_tart This totally rocks, and won't break the bank. This was one of the best things I ate in a whole year of really good eating in 2010. I'm not kidding. That boy can cook. ;o)

Sunflower_profile Reply

Hah! I was thinking about making a pissaladiere - that would be perfect!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

The pumpkin seeds work really well, by the way. I pulsed them a few times in my spice mill, and had some recently toasted and ground cumin and coriander seeds on hand. It took all of one minute to pull it together, once I toasted the sesame seeds (which I did in the hot oven, on the hot baking sheet I'd used for the pumpkin seeds, while I was mixing the other ingredients. I didn't even measure anything.) Delicious. ;o)

Shamrock-medal Reply

Wow, AJ, this sounds amazing. I always love how precise your instructions are, too.

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Thanks so much! I've learned a lot about recipe writing by testing the EP candidates over the past year (and thinking like an engineer, to figure out what works, what doesn't work, and why . . . . .) ;o)

Lobster_001 Reply

Sounds delicious! I'll try it!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Thanks, nannydeb! I hope you do. ;o)

Sausage2 Reply

These sound so good! And creative!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

You are so kind! Thank you. ;o)

Profile Reply

What beautiful photos. Either of these recipes look scrumptious. Lime Makes food so bright.

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Oh, I'm glad you think so! Thanks, Bevi. ;o)

L1010593 Reply

These are beautiful. What a lovely recipe!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Thanks, TiggyBee! And easy, too . . . . ;o)

Oldies_joemare_bd Reply

Gorgeous recipe, the dukkah is wonderful with the eggs.

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Yes, it is. One of my favorite food discoveries in recent months. I understand more and more why chefs consider egg the perfect food. In this case, it's perfect in two ways, by providing a superstar emulsifier in the aioli, and by providing a great base for some good, interesting flavors. Thanks for the compliment. ;o)

Lorigoldsby Reply

The only difficulty is deciding which variation to try first. Love dukkah but hadn't thought to use on eggs, brilliant!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Thanks, Lori. I give full credit for that idea to Arabella Boxer, to whom I am very grateful, and whose book I highly recommend. Hard cooked eggs are one of my favorite spring/summer foods. The aioli + dukkah have quickly become my favorite new add-ons. (I must confess that the aioli idea was stimulated by this week's theme!! I've been playing with dukkah for months now, in a variety of non-traditional ways, as well as using it with the multigrain flatbreads I've been developing.) And as I mentioned in one of my other comments, it's all just so, so easy, too. ;o)

Ab_sum Reply

Beautiful!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Thank you, Sagegreen! You are so kind. ;o)

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Thanks, IPK! It's hard to imagine more fundamental, honest food than bread, eggs, olive oil and garlic . . . . livened up with a touch of savory nuts and seeds. I could live on this stuff. I'm not kidding. ;o)

Dscn3274 Reply

I'm loving all your variations of this!!

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