Deviled Eggs_Jessica Harris

While this dish may not seem terribly Creole to most folks, stuffed eggs do turn up in cookbooks of the Caribbean and beyond, and they played a major role in the spread of the foods of the African-American South. During the period of the great migrations, African-Americans left the South by the thousands for jobs and refuge from Jim Crow in the North. They traveled not knowing when their next meal would be. They often brought a shoebox of food with them: their last tastes of the South. The shoebox inevitably held a deviled egg or two, along with fried chicken, a slab of pound cake, and cool drink. In this way deviled eggs have ridden the roads and the rails into pride of place in the foodways of African Americans in the United States. I've added the pimentón for a non traditional but delicious smokey taste.

8 hard-boiled eggs

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/3 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/3  teaspoon chile powder

¼ teaspoon pimentón, plus additional, for garnish (see note)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Carefully remove the eggs from the shells. Slice each in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks. Arranged the whites on a dish (or a deviled egg plate, a Southern must).

Place the yolks in a small bowl with the mayonnaise, mustard, chile powder, pimentón, salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until smooth. Gently spoon a bit of the yolk mixture into each of the whites. (You can be fancy and pipe the yolk in with a pastry bag.) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with pimentón before serving, chilled.

Makes 16 Deviled Eggs.

Note: Pimentón is smoked, hot Spanish paprika. It adds a zap of chile heat and a wonderfully smoky taste. If unavailable, you may use hot paprik