Devilish Egg Spread or Party Dip

Devilish egg spread is a versatile, cheap, tasty filling for sandwiches, as well as a base flavour in smart hamburgers with a little smeared on each of the top and bottom buns instead of butter or avocado, or served by itself a little thinner, with an assortment of crackers for a party.

After the recipe, you’ll find a few tips on how to use this fabulously savoury filling.

Ingredients

• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 1 good sized spring (green) onion
• Large handful chopped parsley (3-4 tbsps chopped)
• 2 generous tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon hot curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon tarragon
• Good pinch ground kelp (optional)

Four eggs boiling – Photo Theresa Sjoquist

Method

1. In a shallow plate with edges, such as a wide soup bowl, chop eggs into quarters and mash with a fork. Once the eggs are coarsley mashed, add salt, pepper, curry, tarragon and kelp with one tablespoon of mayonnaise and mash finely. The mayonnaise helps stop the loose dry bits of egg yolk getting away from you by making it all stick together.
2. Now add as much mayonnaise as you need to get the mixture to the texture you want, and then add your chopped parsley and green onions, and mix them all together.
3. Make sure your parsley is very finely chopped. In a spread as soft as this one, parsley can have some very sharp little edges and be quite unpleasant if it isn’t finely enough chopped. Flat or curly leaf parsely are both suitable. Also, make sure your spring onions are very finely chopped. I leave the stem intact and chop cross-wise so I get very thin fine circlets of onion.
4. If you intend to use this yummy mixture as a dip, you can thin it so it dips better by adding more mayonnaise, or cream.
5. You can adjust any of the seasonings to suit your own taste. If the taste is too strong, perhaps too much curry or salt, then consider adding another handful of parsley and more mayonnaise.

Devilish Egg Spread Uses

Use this spread on sandwiches by itself – no need for butter if you spread both slices of bread with the devilish egg mixture. Add a slice of ham and a little lettuce and they’ll come screaming back for more.

Use it on double or triple deck sandwiches, or spread a little on both buns before making hamburgers your usual way. It adds a smooth, classy tang.

Thin the mixture with mayonnaise, cream, or even a little milk until it is the right consistency for a party dip and serve with crostini, crackers, or stiff breads.

Because this isn’t a sloppy mix, popping it into a bowl with saran or glad wrap, makes it easy to transport with a box of whatever crackers you’re using as an elegant contribution to party fare.

Keeping Qualities

This mixture keeps well in the fridge for at least four days. Because of the mayonnaise component, if it has been at room temperature at a party for a few hours, I would recommend using the rest, if there’s any left over, all the next day, and then throw any unused portions out. Eggs require a bit of careful handling so don’t keep it if it has reached room temperature for more than a few of hours.