DEVILLED EGGS WITH A SURPRISE TWIST, Frugal, Low-fat, Easy-Peasy, No-Meat

RIDE THE DEVILLED EGG TREND  WITH A GUTSY, SAVOURY TWIST

Lower-fat Tuna-stuffed Devilled Eggs,
'Mmm; these are really good!' 'Seriously good; absolutely fantastic' 'Amazing, Love the paprika. And not too mayonnais-ey'

Devilled Eggs are the new it-food. It's no surprise. Though they're very 1950's (in a good way), cooking is limited and they're a frugal non-meat protein.  

Devilled eggs can be maddeningly fiddly and there never seems to be enough yolk.  The mayonnaise can send fat content to stratospheric levels.  This recipe, adapted from Robert Carrier, reduces calories with Yoghurt-mayo and adds savouriness and bulk by mixing tuna into the yolks.  And it's low-fat!

According to Food Channel Chef Trisha, the yolks will stay in the middle of the egg and not at the ends if, the night before cooking the eggs, they're turned upside down in their container. (It works!)
    
A 25 ml ice-cream scoop works a treat for stuffing the shells. The ambitious can try a piping bag with a large star-shaped nozzle.  

Packed carefully, they make great picnic food.  

Feeds: 12 as hor d'oeuvres, 6 as starter, 3 as  main
Cost: £2.75

Ingred:
    6 free-range eggs, hard boiled (see Tips below)
    1 standard-sized tin tuna fish, drained
    2-3 tbsp finely chopped celery
    2 tbsp finely chopped olives OR finely diced red onion OR the white of spring onions    
    2 tsp lemon juice
    1 tsp grated lemon zest
    1/3 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
    2/3 cup/160 ml yoghurt-mayo (you won't need all of this for the filling)
    1 tbsp Dijon mustard
     3-10 drops Tobasco
     2 tbsp fresh chives finely chopped

     Garnish: smoked paprika
                   fresh lettuce leaves, pref crunchy ie Romaine

Method:

1. Cool eggs under running water.  Roll on a flat surface, pressing down lightly so shells crack and peel easily.  
2. Halve eggs lengthwise; scoop out yolks and grate on a box grater or microplane.
3. Take the merest sliver off the bottom of the egg whites to prevent wobbling     
4. Crush tuna with a fork, leaving no lumps.
5. Mix yolks, tuna, celery, olives or onion, lemon zest, lemon juice until blended.  Season (use at least 1/3 tsp salt). 
6. Blend yoghurt-mayo and mustard. Fold only enough yoghurt-mayo-mustard into tuna-yolk mix just until scoopable but not sloppy (usually about 4 rounded tablespoons but maybe a little more if using a piping bag). Keep rest of yoghurt mayo to serve alongside the eggs. 
7. Mix in tabasco to taste (10 drops give a big of a kick but is not recommended for kids or the ill and infirm) and chopped chives; mix in 1tbsp very hot water
8. Chill for a couple of hours or overnight so that the flavours have time to blend.
9. Pipe or spoon yolk mix into egg whites; sprinkle generously with spoked paprika
10. Serve on a bed of lettuce with extra dressing.  

Tips: 

• Leftover yolk mix is fabulous on unbuttered hot toast.
• Foolproof Hard-Boiled Eggs without sulphur ring.  Place eggs in a pan of water; bring to a boil; turn off heat, cover with a lid and leave for 10 minutes.  Run under cold water.  
• Substitute chopped olives with finely minced red onion or minced spring onions (green only)
• For piping bags and tips, or ice cream scoops try Specialty Shops Nisbits (mail order) or Dennys in Soho or John Lewis.  For Budget shopping try John Lewis and most large supermarkets (where prices are surprisingly low.)  

Copyright: This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.