The Copycat Chef: Tia Pol’s Deviled Eggs with Smoked Paprika
Posted by bellastraniera - 10/06/09 at 10:06 am
As mentioned, one of the best things at crazy-popular tapas spot Tia Pol is their deviled eggs sprinkled with smoked paprika, or pimenton. This secret ingredient of many Spanish dishes is made of peppers from the La Vera, Extremadura region of Spain. The peppers are slowly smoked over an oak fire, sometimes for weeks, then stone ground to a fine powder. Smoked paprika gives that signature rusty red color to chorizo and spicy paellas. It’s not a knock-you-in-the-face kind of hot pepper, though: it morphs from sweet to slow burn.
While it’s not available in most supermarkets, you can find smoked paprika in specialty spice markets like Sahadi’s on Atlantic Avenue and Court Street in Brooklyn. This Pimenton “El Angel” will set you back just $2.35 and should last for about six months. You can find some excellent alternate uses for smoked paprika here on the Avalon Wine blog.
As a Baltimore native, I usually sprinkle deviled eggs with Old Bay but have to concede that the smoked paprika wins out here in terms of subtlety and flavor.
Recipe: Deviled Eggs With Smoked Paprika
6 eggs
1/2 c. mayonnaise*
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
dash of salt
smoked paprika for garnish
To make the hard boiled eggs, put them in a small pot of cold water with a handy Egg-Per’fect timer, bring to a boil, and boil until the timer indicates they’re cooked through. Alternately, use Martha Stewart’s method: bring the water to a boil, cook the eggs 1 minute, then remove the pot from the heat and cover. Let the eggs stand for 13 minutes. Both methods will ensure the eggs aren’t overcooked, which is what gives yolks a darkened ring.
Place the eggs in a bowl of cold water and let them cool, then tap them gently on all sides against the counter and peel carefully.
Cut the eggs in half with a paring knife. Pop or scoop out the yolks into a bowl and mash them thoroughly with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, and a dash of salt and mix to a very smooth consistency.
Spoon the yolk mixture into a plastic sandwich bag and snip a small hole off the corner with kitchen shears. Pipe the mixture into the egg white halves. You can refrigerate the eggs at this point and bring them to room temperature later that day for serving, or serve immediately, sprinkling them with a generous amount of smoked paprika just before you send them out to your guests.
*Trader Joe’s organic mayonnaise is very good and highly recommended.
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a.k.a. Marcy Swingle - obsessed with food and fashion.
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June 10th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
That’s the 3rd time this week I’ve encountered that brand of pimenton! Could it be a sign?
June 11th, 2009 at 10:36 am
It is a sign from God – this spice is heavenly! Wish I had discovered it much earlier.
July 5th, 2010 at 10:55 am
We just brought this back from Spain and LOVE it! I wish we had brought more back…but I guess that means we have to go back again. Thanks for the great post!