Avocado Deviled Eggs with Truffle

Stuck with with a basket of brightly colored hardboiled eggs the Easter bunny left behind? Egg salad on the dinner menu AGAIN?! How does something just a little different, but still familiar, sound to have those eggs eaten up in a hurry? Sort of a deviled-egg-meets-guacamole appetizer with just a little flair is what I have in mind.

What inspired this dish? A lone avocado sitting in the molcajete didn't quite make it into the last batch of guac. No way I was going to let it go to waste when it was just at the "use it or lose it" stage. The soft creaminess of the beautifully ripe avocado kept "egging" me on to try something new.

Hmmmm...that nearly egg-shaped avocado would mash up with hardboiled yolks into an even smoother, creamier filling than normal. And what would go better with avocado  than jalapenos? Nada. 

Hmmmm (again)...the traditional mustard used in deviled eggs might overpower delicate avocado, what else might lend a savory, umami accent? The answer sat right on the kitchen countertop. Truffle salt! Just that easily a new recipe was born. And made. And tasted. And approved!

Not wanting to depend on my opinion alone, the pickled jalapeño-garnished cuties were packed up for an evening with friends at my favorite cocktail establishment (Acacia!) for testing. Eggs were sampled by friends and bar staff both. The result? Smiles and thumbs up all around! Here's the recipe to get the same happy outcome from your very own taste testers!

Avocado Deviled Eggs with Truffle

Serves 6

• 6 eggs, hardboiled, cooled, shells removed, sliced in half lengthwise, yolks removed into small bowl and set aside; egg white halves set aside on a plate
• 1 avocado, nicely soft and ripe
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 jalapeno chile pepper, seeds and veins removed, VERY finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon truffle salt (if you can't find truffle salt, try using smoked salt - see below for where to find truffle salt)
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, or more if needed for consistency
• pickled jalapenos slices, cut into pieces

In a small bowl, mash reserved hardboiled yolks with a fork until fine. Add avocado and lemon juice and mash again with a fork until the avocado and yolks are well mixed. Add the jalapeno, Tabasco, Worchestershire sauce, truffle salt and mayo. If the mixture is too stiff, add mayo a little at a time until piping consistency.
 
Using a zip top sandwich or quart bag, spoon the mixture into the bag being sure to load it into one corner. When the bag is 3/4 of the way full, squeeze out the air and zip the top securely. Snip off a corner of the bag large enough to pipe the mixture into the center of the egg white easily.

Pipe the egg/avocado mixture evenly into the hollows of the whites. Decorate the tops with small pieces of pickled jalapeno to garnish.

Await your OWN smiles and thumbs ups!

NOTE: Truffle salt (I HIGHLY recommend using it...not just for this recipe, but for fried eggs, popcorn, rice...anything to give your finished dish that extra something special) can be ordered at Gourmet Delights online. I use them regularly!