Watching food and cooking programs on TV is one of my guilty pleasures, though I’ve rarely tried a recipe I’ve seen on one. I just like to look at food. A while back, I watched a show where the host visited a restaurant serving fried deviled eggs. (It was Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.) I’d never heard of fried deviled eggs, but I instantly wanted one or twelve. The recipe wasn’t included in the program, but that didn’t deter me. After all, deviled eggs and anything fried come in right at the top of my personal food chain. Combine the two? This is surely heaven on an appetizer plate. I decided to use a beer batter and got some eggs from the chickens.

To make the hard-boiled eggs:

For a dozen deviled eggs, you’ll need six hard-boiled eggs. Before boiling, bring eggs to room temperature. To make perfect, incredibly easy to peel hard-boiled eggs, bring a pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a dash of salt then gently lower the eggs into the boiling water with a slotted spoon.

Replace the lid and boil hard for 14 minutes. Drain and place immediately in cold water. Ice water is even better.

Lightly crack each egg all over then gently roll it between your hands. The eggs will practically leap out of the shells on their own, leaving the most perfect hard-boiled eggs you’ve ever seen.

Rinse the eggs in cold water to make sure you didn’t leave even the tiniest bit of shell on the eggs then allow the eggs to cool thoroughly before slicing. You want to be sure they are chilled all the way to the center. Pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Eggs slice much more cleanly when they’re cold. Once chilled, slice eggs lengthwise with a smooth-bladed knife. Squeeze gently to pop out the yolks and you’re ready to make deviled eggs.

Classic deviled egg recipes include the mashed hard-boiled yolks, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and a dash of salt and pepper. Deviled eggs are most frequently sprinkled with paprika for taste, color, and just because it looks pretty. Parsley, chives, and other herbs also make a great garnish.

The classic recipe can be varied easily to suit your tastes or a special occasion. You can replace the mayo with any flavor creamy-style salad dressing, sour cream, or even horseradish. You can add different herbs, or include shredded cheeses or meats, particularly seafood (crabmeat or minced shrimp). Finely diced veggies also make a fun variation on the standard deviled egg. If you like spicy, use finely diced hot peppers with a bit of chili powder and garnish with a sliced olive or cilantro. The possibilities are endless.

The prettiest deviled eggs are made with the filling piped into the egg white halves, but you can also spoon it in. If you’re frying them, there’s no need to worry about pretty. The deviled eggs will be covered in a fried batter by the time anyone sees them.

For the deviled eggs:

6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced lengthwise with yolks separated
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Set aside egg white halves. Mash yolks in a small bowl. Add mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper; mix well. (I added some horseradish, pickle relish, and red pepper flakes to make it spicy.) Pipe or spoon filling into egg halves.

For the beer batter:

1 cup baking mix*
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg
1 cup beer
oil for frying

*I use my homemade baking mix, Quick Mix.

Combine all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Dip the deviled eggs one at a time into the batter and shake off the excess.

This is the messy part.

Fry in hot oil in a deep pot for about 3-4 minutes or until the batter is fried and lightly browned, turning as needed. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

Serve with a dip such as Ranch dressing.

You’ll never want just plain deviled eggs again!

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