I'll Be Making Ina Garten’s Deviled Eggs Again and Again—They're So Good

Along with pigs in a blanket and fried pickles, deviled eggs are a favorite party treat in my circle of food-loving friends. For me, though, it wasn’t always so. I grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch country, which is better known for the iconic red beet eggs of the Amish. While I now obsess over the crimson-to-fuchsia ombre dye effect of pickled beets, my palate as a kid was not about a jar of red juice with hard-boiled eggs in it. As an adult, I have broadened my egg-shaped horizons. 

And leave it to the Barefoot Contessa to evoke an entire breakfast spread in a single bite with her gloriously creamy, salty smoked salmon deviled eggs. As a lifelong fan of any food that's been cooked, tossed around with extra ingredients, and stuffed back into itself, I was fully on board by the time she got to blending fluffy yolks with cream cheese.

How To Make Ina Garten’s Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

I see you, million dollar deviled eggs, and I'm coming for you with gleaming jewels of salmon roe, like mermaid treasure from the bottom of the sea. To make Ina Garten’s smoked salmon deviled eggs, I found two ounces of salmon roe (also called ikura or salmon caviar) for $13 at the sushi counter of my grocery store in Los Angeles. But there are also options at chains like Whole Foods and Albertsons, or you might be able to snag a lil' to-go box of the roe at a local sushi restaurant, too.

I was nervous about accidentally breaking the hard-boiled eggs while peeling them, but Ina's method for boiling, resting, cooling, and peeling gave each egg a nearly glass-smooth surface. Even if your eggs don't peel perfectly, the beauty of deviled egg presentation is that any pockmarks end up face-down on the platter. Win-win.

Once I scooped out the yolks, I fluffed my filling ingredients using a stand mixer. Along with the chives, smoked salmon, cream cheese, mayo, and black pepper, there's just something about the bracing scent of lemon in the air, like flip-flops for the nostrils. I spooned the mixture into my eggs, then topped them with salmon roe, chives, and a little S&P. 

Tips for Making Ina Garten’s Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

As I plated my egg white halves, I quickly realized I had a slip-n-slide situation. I emergency-texted my deviled egg dealer—a.k.a. a friend who always makes them—and they shared this tip: Put a little of your yolk mixture in a Ziploc bag, snip off a corner, and pipe a tiny dot under the egg white to glue it onto your surface so you get that neat-as-a-pin, 1970s-era appetizer presentation. Because a deviled egg is a one-bite deal, no one ever notices it’s there.

I'm not gonna lie: The bagel and lox vibe almost made me want to sprinkle everything bagel seasoning over the entire tray. I might try that next time because there definitely will be a next time. After several "You're making these again, right?" requests, it appears to this stuffed food lover that Ina's deviled eggs are the most exquisite stuffed food.