Kimchi Deviled Eggs

“It’s salty with a hint of cabbage, but you don’t see it. There is a specific spiciness in the eggs that slowly creeps up on you. First the fiery tinge is shy. As you gobble more eggs, the chili spice kicks you with a strong jab. It’s irresistible, though. “ My sons’ sentiments were the same as mine, as we all devoured these Kimchi Deviled Eggs for our appetizers.

I first tasted these divine deviled eggs flavored with kimchi at the recent Big Summer Potluck 2013. It was one of the multi course offerings during our sit-down dinner and the recipe was straight from the new cookbook “Eat Your Vegetables” by Joe Yonan. It was so superb that I shamelessly asked the rest of our table if I could have what was left on the serving tray. I hope my dinner companions forgave me for brazenly asking for what was left.

I also won a copy of the Joe Yonan’s cookbook so I was thrilled when I knew I could replicate these deviled eggs at home, as well as other marvelous easy to do vegetable recipes in the book.

Deviled eggs were always a good after-school snack for my sons. It didn’t take too long to do and I made sure to make a large batch so that my sons would not go look elsewhere for foods to satisfy them. As they grew older, I tried to make the deviled eggs more interesting and adventurous for their growing palates.

So this past holiday weekend, when my sons came home to visit, I had these kimchi deviled eggs chilling and ready for them. I just knew they had never tasted anything like it yet.

“Where did you get the kimchi from?” asked my son when I offered him a tray of these gorgeous looking eggs. As my sons grabbed a couple eagerly, I assured my family the kimchi was a premium kind which I bought from a large Asian supermarket. I tried to stay true to the recipe, except for 1 or 2 ingredients and steps.

The author suggested one should use the “best Kimchi you can find, probably at an Asian market.” If preferred, Joe recommends making one’s own Cabbage Kimchi and you will find a very easy and terrific recipe is in his cookbook “Eat Your Vegetables.”

Once the hardboiled yolks were ready and mashed, I quickly worked on them and added the rest of the ingredients including the kimchi. This is fermented cabbage that tastes like a spicy, fiery pickle with a leafy texture. The heat comes from Korean red chile flakes, which Joe said “makes a real difference.”

It only took a few quick minutes to put together. The thick egg filling combined with the leafy kimchi, cream cheese and my addition of mayonnaise blended well into a nearly solid cream base.  I could not wait for the eggs  to firm up in the refrigerator, I sampled one right away. Even if it wasn’t chilled yet, I knew I had a winner here. The pale orange-yellow mashed mixture perched atop a shiny egg white had a delicate, herb-like flavor and savory aroma that was sinfully scrumptious.

Have a go of these kimchi deviled eggs for snacks, sides, appetizers or ‘just because’ any time you feel like it. If you’re with other dinner companions while enjoying these distinct deviled eggs, best to be nice to everyone just to soften the blow  ~ you’ll be asking for the leftover ones on your table!

Print Recipe

Kimchi Deviled Eggs

This is a classic deviled eggs recipe with a twist – the addition of hot, spicy kimchi, the Korean fermented pickled cabbage. It is an easy and fast recipe to do. Find good quality kimchi from Asian groceries or make your own. There is an incredibly easy Cabbage Kimchi recipe in this same cookbook. Either way, this was one of the best tasting, more affordable appetizers we’ve ever had. I doubled the batch of eggs suggested in the cookbook because I just knew this would be a bestseller at our family table. Recipe slightly adapted from “Eat Your Vegetables” by Joe Yonan. The recipe below made 28 pieces and served 4 hungry adults for starters.

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American, Asian

Keyword: Kimchi Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 14 whole large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup cabbage kimchi; store-bought
• 1/3 cup cream cheese; slightly softened at room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder; for garnish
• 4 to 6 leaves fresh lettuce; for garnish

Instructions

• To cook the eggs: Boil water in a large deep pot. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add eggs and cook them for about 12 to 15 minutes. As soon as they are cooked, transfer eggs to a large bowl filled with cold water and ice. The transfer of the newly cooked hard boiled eggs to cold water will help make peeling easier. You can start cracking the egg shells while under water, and continue when you take them out.
• Place the peeled eggs on the counter. Slice each egg lengthwise, in half. Carefully remove each egg yolk from the center and place in the food processor or blender. Set aside the egg whites on a platter. Keep them chilled in the refrigerator while working on the yolks.
• To prepare: Drain the kimchi and try to remove the liquid by gently squeezing the leaves. Chop the kimchi into pieces.
• In the food processor or blender, process together the egg yolks, chopped kimchi, cream cheese, mayonnaise. Puree until smooth for about 2 minutes. Season with salt if desired. Add sriracha a little at a time, depending on the level of spiciness desired. (Note: the kimchi is already spicy, so taste the pureed mixture first).
• To assemble: fill each egg white center with a teaspoon or more of the yolk-kimchi mixture. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika. Plate on top of fresh lettuce leaves. Refrigerate for at least an hour or more before serving.
• Cook's comments: I used organic eggs for this recipe as a personal preference of my family.

Hello, Friends! All the images and content here are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to use my photos or content on your site  without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you.

Hello, Friends! All the images and content here are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to use my photos or content on your site  without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you.