Staff Showdown: Deviled Eggs
with Emily Bishop
Savory Spice Team
With Easter coming, we know many households will soon have an excess of hard boiled eggs on hand. So naturally, we decided to have a friendly deviled egg competition at our headquarters in Denver. Read below to find out who had the most egg-cellent recipe and then try out the recipes at home for post-Easter brunch and as appetizers for your springtime dinner parties!
The Judges
Founders Mike and Janet Johnston along with Marketing Manager, Molly Martin, make for a judging dream team. These professional testers have eggs-quisite taste and took this competition very seriously. Judging was based on both taste and appearance with each judge giving a score of 1-10 in each category.
The Rules
The rules were simple: create the best deviled egg recipe using Savory Spices and a set selection of standard add-ins provided by the Test Kitchen like mayo, mustard, and a sampling of vinegars. Each contestant got 5 whole eggs to create their recipes.
The Competitors
Shannon, Staff Accountant
Entry: Cambridgeshire Eggs
Shannon wanted to have a “different take on traditional.” She chose Cambridge Celery Seasoning because “the spices that are in it are very traditional.” She used Bucktown Brown to give it a different twist and added minced lemon peel, which “brightened it up a bit.”
Shannon’s Secret Ingredients
Cambridge Celery Seasoning- ¼ tsp.
Bucktown Brown Mustard & Honey Rub- ¼ tsp.
Minced Lemon Peel- 1/6 tsp.
Mayo- 4 tsp.
Garnish with Dill Weed & Minced Lemon Peel
Matt, Digital Marketing Manager
Entry: Vietnamese Curry Eggs
Matt was inspired by curry because he “enjoys curry deviled eggs and wanted to utilize a different curry other than yellow curry.”
Matt’s Secret Ingredients
Vietnamese Sweet Lemon Curry- 2 tsp.
Mayo- 2 Tbsp.
Garnish with Black Sesame Seeds
Ariana, Sr. Marketing Associate
Entry: Asian Style Eggs
Ariana “wanted to do something different,” and she “cooks a lot of Asian food at home.” When creating her recipe, her first thought was that “horseradish is very common in deviled eggs and wasabi would make a great substitute.”
Ariana’s Secret Ingredients
Asian Style Sprinkle- ½ tsp.
Wasabi- 1 tsp.
Soy Sauce- 1tsp.
Rice Vinegar- 1 tsp.
Mayo- 2 Tbsp.
Garnish with Asian Style Sprinkle
Christine, Director of Retail Operations
Entry: Coastal Eggs
Christine's recipe was inspired by “growing up on the east coast and missing the flavors of seafood.”
Christine’s Secret Ingredients
Regular Yellow Mustard Powder- ½ tsp.
Celery Seeds- ¼ tsp.
Coastal Bay Seafood Seasoning- ½ tsp.
Half & Half- Splash
Lemon Juice- Splash
Malt Vinegar- Splash
Mayo- 2 ½ Tbsp.
Garnish with Coastal Bay Seafood Seasoning, Salt & Pepper Tableside Seasoning, and crushed potato chips
Dan, Test Kitchen Chef
Entry: Avocado Chicharron Eggs
Dan was inspired by his love for chiles and Savory’s original creation, Chicharron Salt. His spice selections were “an easy first choice, because like paprika, chili powder is easy to sprinkle on top and is bright in color.”
Dan’s Secret Ingredients
Mild Chili Powder- ½ tsp.
Salt- 1/8 tsp.
Fine Black Malabar Pepper- 1/8 tsp.
Avocado- 1 half
Red wine vinegar- ½ tsp.
Mayo- 1 Tbsp.
Garnish with Chicharron Salt and Mild Chili Powder
Nadia, Store Support Coordinator
Entry: Chimichurri Eggs
Nadia’s eggs were inspired by a prior recipe she made for her daughter’s Halloween party. She wanted the eggs “to look crazy.” Not only were they delicious, “they were kid friendly, which was awesome.”
Nadia’s Secret Ingredients
Chimichurri Dry Marinade- 2 tsp.
Garlic Salt- To taste
Mexican Oregano- 1 tsp.
Red wine vinegar- Splash
Mayo- 1 ½ Tbsp.
Garnish with Parsley
Ashlee, Test Kitchen Chef
Entry: Tomato & Herbs Eggs
As a professional chef, Ashlee made sure to research what flavors pair well with eggs. She discovered tomato pairs well with eggs and said, “you know what, that’s right!” Ashlee also chose to use Fines Herbs to add flavor and color, and opted to “pull out Freeze Dried Chives to garnish with.”
Ashlee’s Secret Ingredients
Fines Herbs- 1 tsp.
Tomato Powder- ½ tsp.
Fine Black Malabar Pepper- To taste
Salt- A pinch
White Wine Vinegar- ½ tsp.
Mayo- 4 Tbsp.
Garnish with Fines Herbs
Judges Picks
While all eggs were delicious and unique, each judge had a personal favorite.
Mike’s Top Pick: Ashlee’s Tomato & Herbs Eggs because “they were balanced and texturally the best.” Mike said that it “wasn’t just about the spices, it was the creaminess of whatever she used” - and she did use almost twice as much mayo as the other contestants, something to keep in mind when making your own deviled eggs at home.
Janet’s Top Pick: Dan’s Avocado Chicharron Eggs because she “loves deviled eggs and guacamole and it was a perfect marriage between the two.”
Molly’s Top Pick: Nadia’s Chimichurri Eggs, because “they were bright and unique, but still had that classic creamy texture.”
The Results
This is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. And the winner was…
Appearance: Ashlee’s Tomato & Herbs Eggs took top score
Taste: It was a tie between Nadia’s Chimichurri Eggs and Ariana’s Asian Style Eggs
With the votes tallied up, the competition was close. The top pick won out by just a half a point. And the final results were:
#1: Ariana’s Asian Style Eggs
#2: Ashlee’s Tomato & Herbs Eggs
#3: Nadia’s Chimichurri Eggs
Even though a winner was declared, all the entries were tasty options. Try them all and then have fun experimenting with other spices in your next batch of eggs.
Do you have a secret deviled egg ingredient? Let us know in the comments below, and if you make a batch, be sure to share it with us on social media by using #savoryspiceshop!
