Jacques Pepin’s Weird and Wonderful Recipe Is Better Than Deviled Eggs (2024)

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It's surprisingly delicious.

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Sara Haas

Sara Haas

Sara Haas RDN, LDN, is a food and nutrition expert with formal training in the culinary arts. She works as a freelance writer, recipe developer, media authority, public speaker, and consultant dietitian/chef. Sara has over 20 years of experience as a registered and licensed dietitian. She has also been a professional chef for 15 years and a food photographer for 10 years.

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Published on 11/24/23

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Jacques Pepin’s Weird and Wonderful Recipe Is Better Than Deviled Eggs (1)

I always keep a carton of eggs in my refrigerator. They’re a lifesaver for when hunger strikes and I need something nourishing to eat that’s also quick and easy to make. I typically resort to the usual preparations, relying on either scrambling or frying. If I have some foresight, I’ll hard-boil a few as a gift to my future self. I’ll peel them and season with salt and pepper and that’s enough to satisfy. But when I came across the unique way that Jacques Pépin prepares his hard-boiled eggs, I knew I had to give it a try.

A Mother’s Touch

Pépin is a culinary great, known around the world for his impeccable cooking skills and impressive food. That’s why I was surprised to hear that one of his favorite meals was one that his mother used to make for him. It was a family favorite with a humble main ingredient: eggs.

She would hard-boil them, mix the yolks with seasonings, and stuff them back into the egg white halves. Then she would sear them, stuffed-side-down, in oil in a hot pan and serve them with a tangy vinaigrette. Pépin lovingly named them, “Oeufs Jeanette,” after his mother.

How To Make Oeufs Jeanette

Pépin begins the recipe as his mother did, with hard-boiling eggs. Once cool, peel the eggs and slice them in half lengthwise. Remove the yolk and place in a bowl along with a bit of minced garlic, fresh chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and a splash of milk. Smash and mix with a fork, then stuff into the egg white halves, leaving a bit of yolk mixture behind to make the vinaigrette.

Jacques Pepin’s Weird and Wonderful Recipe Is Better Than Deviled Eggs (3)

Heat a bit of neutral oil in a skillet, then add the eggs, stuffed-side down, and cook until the filling is golden-brown and caramelized, one to two minutes. To make the vinaigrette, whisk extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and water with the leftover yolk mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the eggs to a plate and serve with the vinaigrette.

Jacques Pépin Has the BEST Recipe for Extra Crispy Potato Pancakes

I’m Smitten

I’m often left feeling under-whelmed by recipes these days. They’re either too complicated or require steps or ingredients that don’t seem necessary. Or worse, they just don’t taste good. This recipe is none of those things. It’s absolute perfection.

The filling is deliciously seasoned and the caramelized crust of the filling feels rich and decadent. The accompanying vinaigrette is essential. It balances the dish, adding the perfect acidic kick to cut through the creaminess of the eggs. I’m a fan and forever smitten and am already dreaming of the next time I make it.

Jacques Pepin’s Weird and Wonderful Recipe Is Better Than Deviled Eggs (5)

Tips:

The recipe is straight-forwad and easy to execute, but there are a few things that might be helpful to know before you give them a try:

  1. Prep the eggs: If you have the time, consider hard-boiling the eggs up to one day in advance of making. This will save you time and make prep much more enjoyable.
  2. Substitute ingredients: If you’re out of garlic, no problem! Substitute one-eighth teaspoon garlic powder for one clove of garlic (which is about what you’ll need for this recipe). As for the parsley, fresh is nice, but not necessary. You can substitute dried, about one-quarter teaspoon, or leave it out entirely.
  3. Heat your pan: Searing requires heat. Set your pan over medium-high heat and then add a neutral oil. It might need a minute or so to heat up. Once the oil moves around easily in the pan (it kind of looks like water, less viscous than the cold oil you started with), add the eggs and don’t touch them. They need constant contact with the oil and pan to get the caramelization you’re after!

Julia Child's Unusual Tip for Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Jacques Pepin’s Weird and Wonderful Recipe Is Better Than Deviled Eggs (2024)

FAQs

Jacques Pepin’s Weird and Wonderful Recipe Is Better Than Deviled Eggs? ›

Once cool, peel the eggs and slice them in half lengthwise. Remove the yolk and place in a bowl along with a bit of minced garlic, fresh chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and a splash of milk. Smash and mix with a fork, then stuff into the egg white halves, leaving a bit of yolk mixture behind to make the vinaigrette.

What is Jacques Pepin's signature dish? ›

Jacques Pépin, the famous French chef, author, and cooking show host, made the soufflé one of his signature dishes. But his was concocted with a bit of a spin on the classic dish, thanks to a mistake made by his mother before he was even born.

Why deviled eggs are the best? ›

As a snack food, deviled eggs have an edge over many store-bought snacks: they're whole and unprocessed. “It's usually a better bet to have a snack that is made with fresh ingredients rather than something packaged or processed,” says Amy Keating, RD, a CR dietitian.

Are deviled eggs popular in France? ›

Deviled eggs seem to be a favorite at any party… and for good reason! This popular French version, known as “Oeufs Mimosa”, presents hard-boiled eggs cut in half and stuffed with a rich and creamy filling of egg yolks, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and fresh herbs for classic French flavor.

How do you make deviled eggs Jacques Pepin? ›

This is the dish that Pépin says she made for him regularly and he hasn't seen it anywhere else. To make them, you mix hard-boiled yolks with grated garlic and parsley, return the yolks to the egg whites, then sauté them in a skillet, stuffed-side down. The eggs are served on top of a mustard vinaigrette.

What recipe is Jacques Pépin known for? ›

Chef Jacques Pépin has been part of Food & Wine's history since his soufflé recipe appeared in the very first issue of Food & Wine in March of 1978. Since then, he's taught us not just the art of a perfect soufflé, but how to make show-stopping duck, crêpes, omelets, gnocchi Parisienne, and other French essentials.

What makes Jacques Pépin unique? ›

Despite his classic French culinary roots, Pepin actually spearheaded a modern method of French cooking that offered instruction in recipes and dishes more simple than complex. In fact, his La Potagerie restaurant was originally opened to provide simple French soups and dishes that were affordable and fast.

Is it healthy to eat deviled eggs every day? ›

Deviled eggs can be a part of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation. Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. However, the nutritional content of deviled eggs can vary based on the ingredients used in the filling.

Are deviled eggs bad for your cholesterol? ›

Deviled egg halves usually contain about 120 mgs of cholesterol each, which is a lot. If you eat two or three, you've already used up your suggested 200 mgs of dietary cholesterol a day for most adults just on this one item.

What percentage of people like deviled eggs? ›

According to a new online survey1, commissioned by McCormick, nearly 61 percent of Americans plan to make and/or eat deviled eggs this Easter. While 45 percent of consumers will enjoy the classic recipe, with mustard and paprika as go-to flavors, many are "eggs-perimenting" with different ingredients.

What do Christians call deviled eggs? ›

At church functions in parts of the Southern and Midwestern United States, the terms "stuffed eggs", "salad eggs", and "dressed eggs" occur instead, to avoid reference to the word "devil". For this reason, the term "angel eggs" is also occasionally used.

What did the Romans call deviled eggs? ›

For National Deviled Egg Day, we're taking it back to Ancient Rome…. where serving deviled eggs was often referred to as “ab ova usque ad mala.”

What is a nickname for deviled eggs? ›

Since the word "devil" does have negative connotations, though, some groups of people prefer to call the dish "stuffed eggs," "salad eggs," or "dressed eggs."

Why do people put paprika on deviled eggs? ›

People put paprika on deviled eggs as a garnish for serving. A dusting of paprika contrasts nicely with the white and yellow of the egg for visual effect and it also adds a smoky, sweet flavor to the deviled egg.

What is the difference between angel eggs and deviled eggs? ›

Angel eggs are simply another term for the classic deviled egg. It's the same creamy yolk filling in the center of an egg-white that we've enjoyed for years. In this recipe, I make the filling with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.

What is one of Gordon Ramsay's signature dish? ›

The Beef Wellington would enjoy a firm place in the English culinary scene, even making waves abroad (it was reportedly one of Richard Nixon's favourites!) But would gain the most popularity when Gordon Ramsay picked it up as his favourite, signature dish. Wanting to get a culinary career in a Gordon Ramsay restaurant?

What is Guy Fieri signature dish? ›

If there's one recipe that epitomizes Guy's big and bold flavors, it's his turkey chili for Food Network Magazine. Guy flavors this hearty stew with pasilla chile peppers — he rehydrates the dry kind for convenience — and spices like cumin, chili powder and paprika.

Did Jacques Pépin like Julia Child? ›

So we became friends in 1960. So we were friends for half a century, basically. And that means that we argued all the time, but we drank a lot of wine, too. Julia Child cooks with Jacques Pépin in her kitchen in 1999 in Cambridge, Mass.

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