Curried Deviled Eggs for Food 'N Flix January: Bridget Jones's Diary (And Trying Out "Steam-Boiled" Eggs)

How many times have I seen Bridget Jones's Diary? I actually have no idea. But, time to spill my geekiness here... I read the book, saw the film when it came out in 2001, bought the DVD, later upgraded and bought the 'collector's edition' DVD, and have caught countless random pieces of it on cable because it always makes me smile. It's one of those movies that I can watch over and over and just enjoy its silliness and its heart. So I was beyond excited that Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz picked it as our January Food 'N Flix selection. (You can see her announcement post here.)

Traditionally, I view my copy each year sometime around the weekend closest to New Year's since in the film, "It all began on New Year's day in the 32nd year of my being single..." It's sort of like Bridget's Mum's annual turkey curry buffet for me--something I just have to do. My fondness of it probably has much to do with the Pride & Prejudice storyline including my passion for Colin Firth. (It should be noted that the BBC version of P&P {THE BEST P&P} starring Firth gets viewed at least once a year at my house--mainly when I am feeling under-the-weather and want to do nothing more than lie on the couch for a few hours.) Watching Colin Firth as Mark Darcy cast sexy longing looks at Bridget is a big part of the appeal. Renée Zellweger, often annoying to me in other movies, captures Bridget perfectly and Hugh Grant, usually cast as the bumbling, slightly awkward nice guy, portrays an excellent sleazy/sexy bad boy in Daniel Cleaver. It's one of those few cases that for me, the movie is much better than the book. (And it should have stopped there both for the book and film and not gone on to Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, but I digress--thankfully we are talking about BJD and not the sequel.)

I am not sure I should even admit this but since I am letting my geek flag fly, while looking for pictures of my food inspiration, I stumbled across "The Hardest Bridget Jones's Diary Quiz You'll Ever Take" and scored 27/29-- (missing just the cereal she was eating and the name of the cab company near her house) and earning "We like you just the way you are! You’ve watched Bridget Jones’s Diary so many times you should be in her gaggle of friends, swigging wine and swearing to your heart’s content. You’re a Bridget Jones expert through and through and would totes win Mark Darcy’s heart." In my defense, although I often forget important details and sometimes lose my car in parking lots, I have an pretty large capacity to retain random favorite book and film trivia and usually kick ass in trivia games--and when given multiple choices, I am a pretty good guesser. ;-)  If you are a fan of the movie and have seen it several times, try the quiz. If you haven't seen the film, go watch it--although not everyone has the love for it I do, most people that I encounter do think that it's fun and watchable.

This year thanks to Evelyne, I watched it more for the food. There is actually plenty of it in the film--scary or not. There's the turkey curry buffet--including gherkins on toothpicks, and gravy that might or might not need sieving. There are plenty of cocktails and some pupus (appetizers) enjoyed with Bridget's friends, random dinners, 'tarts and vicars' party fare, Greek food from the restaurant fight between Darcy and Daniel Cleaver, and of course Bridget's failed attempt at cooking her birthday dinner for her friends with some sexy Mark Darcy help. 

Many times I waffle back and forth with what to make for Food 'N Flix but I had my dish in my head almost immediately for this pick. I took my inspiration from the silliness of Pamela Jones, Bridget Jone's mum. Bridget says, "My mum, a strange creature from the time when pickles on toothpicks were still the height of sophistication." I took the curry from the infamous turkey curry buffet and blended it with the hard-boiled eggs from Pamela's graphic department store demonstration of the Wise Crack Egg Peeler with its wonderful tagline on the box "Have it Ouef."

 
Pamela Jones: "Ah, anyone else want to have it ouef? Ha ha.Don't be shy, madame. Ha ha. ...French. Have it oeuf. Ha ha! With the Wise Crack Egg Peeler. Now, nice firm grip. [demonstrating] Put it in the hole. And...up, down, up, down. And off it comes in your hand.
Oh! Mind the over-spray. Sorry."

I love me some deviled eggs and certainly the Wise Crack Egg Peeler would be helpful in making them in large batches for your next party or to add to the dishes accompanying a turkey curry buffet. Since I am not lucky enough to own one, ;-) I decided to try 'steaming' my eggs as it seems to be popular lately and is supposed to be somewhat fool-proof for easy peeling. I used the steps in this post from Bewitching Kitchen which links to this Serious Eats post that she used. Basically you put your eggs into a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and let them steam away over the boiling water for 6 minutes--softboiled, 11-12 minutes--hardboiled. Then, if using them cold, you dunk them into very cold water for about 15 minutes before peeling. 

The eggs are supposed to end up perfectly cooked and easy to peel. Although I cooked my eggs 12 minutes, the yolks could have probably used another minute and one egg cracked in the pan--the eggs overall were tender and not rubbery, the yolks had no gray oxidation, and most importantly--the peels slipped off easily leaving me smooth exteriors with little effort to 'have it oeuf.' Maybe not 'perfect eggs' but pretty close in my book for the ease of shelling. I will definitely steam my next batch and play with the timing some more.  

Curry and eggs is always a good pairing and changes it up from the regular deviled eggs. These have a combination of curry and garam masala with a touch of cayenne, held together with both garlic mayonnaise and Greek yogurt--the mayo has the creamy factor and the yogurt makes them a wee-bit healthier by reducing some of the fat. I topped them with a dab of jarred tomato chutney for a hit of sweet-tart-spice notes and chopped cilantro.    

Curried Deviled Eggs
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes 12 Deviled Egg Halves) 

6 large eggs--hard-boiled or steamed and peeled
2 Tbsp mayonnaise (I used a garlic mayo)
3 Tbsp non-fat Greek yogurt
2 tsp stone ground mustard
1/2 Tbsp curry powder, or to taste
1/2 Tbsp garam masala, or to taste 
large pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tsp fresh lime juice
sea salt and black pepper

To garnish: tomato or mango chutney, chopped cilantro. You could also garnish with a little piece of spicy Indian pickles and chopped toasted peanut or cashews. 

Cut each egg in half lengthwise and gently remove the yolks. In a small bowl, mash the yolks with a fork and add mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, mustard, curry powder, garam masala, cayenne and lime juice. Stir until blended, smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.  

Fill eggs with equal amounts of filling--using either a small spoon or a pastry bag with a large tip. Garnish each egg with a small dollop of chutney and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Notes/Results: Generally when it comes to deviled eggs,I usually prefer them simple--just a touch of mustard, salt, and pepper, but if you are a curry fan these eggs are pretty appealing. They are creamy with the flavorful spices, a hint of heat, and then that extra pop of the tomato chutney--slightly spicy, sweet and sour. You could just go full curry with them but I like the warmer notes that the garam masala adds to the mix. You can also dial pack the curry but I like the flavors to stand out. When I tasted it after mixing, I wanted a bit of acidity, even before the chutney topping so I squeezed in a bit of lime and it was just right. I will happily make them again.    

The deadline for this round of Food 'N Flix is Wednesday, January 28th and Evelyne will be rounding up the entries on her blog soon after.  If you missed this round and like food, films and foodie films, consider joining us for February when we will be watching the animated classic Lady and the Tramp, hosted by Elizabeth at The Lawyer's Cookbook.