Medieval Deviled Eggs

Medieval deviled eggs garnished with mint

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City/Region: Germany

Time Period: 15th Century

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Boiled eggs mixed with ingredients like garum, asafoetida (silphium), and honey served as the first course of many an Ancient Roman banquet. They were a precursor to the deviled egg as we know it today but they were often mashed or chopped rather than stuffed. Recipes for stuffed eggs don’t appear until the 13th century, and even then, the flavors were quite different from the deviled egg of today, which didn’t show up until around 1877. This 15th century recipe is somewhere in between those of Ancient Rome and those served at a picnic today. They are seasoned and stuffed then fried in butter, and served with a sauce on the side.

“If you wish to make halved eggs that are stuffed, take eggs and boil them hard. Slice down the middle. Remove the yolks from the whites. Grind them in a mortar. When they are mashed, mix with raw eggs. Add sage and costmary, pepper and saffron. And fill the whites with this. Then put them in butter and bake them well. Take vinegar and other eggs. Make good sauce with this. Do add honey, pepper and saffron. Salt to taste. And serve it forth.”

— From the Mittelniederdeutsches Kochbuch

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Ingredients:

Deviled Eggs

• 7 eggs
• A few leaves of costmary or mint, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Small pinch of saffron, diffused in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water
• 1/4 cup (57 g) butter, melted
• Honey for drizzling, optional

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) white wine vinegar
• 1 egg, or 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Large pinch of pepper
• Large pinch of salt
• Normal pinch of saffron threads

Instructions:

1. For the deviled eggs: Fill a pot with about 1” of water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
2. Gently add 6 of the eggs, then lower the heat to medium (you want a low boil) and cook for 13 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. When the eggs are done, place them in the ice water for 15 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
5. Peel the eggs and cut them in half.
6. Remove the yolks and mash them in a medium bowl with a fork.
7. Beat the remaining raw egg, then add it to the mashed yolks and mix well.
8. Add the costmary or mint, pepper, and saffron-water and mix until smooth.
9. Fill the egg whites with the mixture until level (do not round the filling). A piping bag works well for this.
10. Put the melted butter in an oven-safe pan and arrange the filled eggs in it, filling side down.
11. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, then very gently turn the eggs over and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the filling is quite firm.
12. For the sauce: Add the vinegar to the egg yolks or whole egg and whisk well.
13. Add the honey, pepper, salt, and saffron and whisk to combine.
14. Cook in a small saucepan over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, just until it starts to thicken, stirring constantly. You don’t want to scramble the eggs, so use low heat and go slow.
15. Let eggs cool, then drizzle with a bit of honey (optional) and serve them forth with the sauce on the side.

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