Smoked Eggs and Chili

A couple of years ago, my buddy the Blue Mule over at Howling Hog BBQ posted about smoked eggs. I was intrigued and have always wanted to try them. I actually did get to try one at the Harpoon BBQ Contest when I finally met the Blue Mule in the flesh. I enjoyed the eggs and the company, but now curiosity satisfied, the idea of making them got buried deep in the back of my feeble head.

But then, Adam Perry Lang publishes Serious Barbecue, and looky here, there is a recipe for Smoked Eggs. Suddenly a fire that died down long ago was rekindled. I was making chili and there was plenty of room on the smoker for another item. It was time for me to make smoked eggs!

I'll publish my experiences in another post, but here's Adam's recipe for Hard Smoke Eggs (copied from Oprah's website)

Hard Smoked Eggs

Recipe created by Adam Perry Lang

When I worked in French kitchens, we used to infuse eggs with all kinds of fancy stuff, like cheese and truffles, but before my friend Marc Farris, BBQ TV, clued me in to this cool way to cook eggs, I had never infused them with smoke. It's insanely easy: Boil them a bit and then throw them in the smoker for about 45 minutes. Believe me, nothing makes a better egg salad than these babies.

Ingredients:

Makes 12 eggs

• 1 dozen large eggs in a cardboard carton (save the carton)
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
• 2 Tbsp. thinly sliced scallions, white and green portions
• 1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 1/4 cup to 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat an indirect barbecue with a drip pan and hardwood (preferably hickory or oak), a ceramic cooker with deflector plate and hardwood (preferably hickory or oak), or a charcoal or gas grill with a box or packet of hardwood (preferably hickory or oak) to 225°F.

2. Place the eggs in a saucepan that will hold them in an even layer. Pour in just enough water to cover and stir in the salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover and remove from the heat. Let sit, covered, for 12 minutes. Remove the lid and put the eggs under cold running water for 5 minutes.

3. Remove the eggs from the water. Roll each egg on the table to crack the shell. The shell should remain intact, but be cracked. Set the eggs back in the carton.

4. Place the carton of eggs with the top open in the cooker for 1 hour.

5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl toss the chives and scallions with the lemon juice, followed by the celery salt.

6. Remove the eggs from the cooker.

When cool enough to handle, but still warm, peel the eggs.

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and arrange on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the chive mixture.

From Serious Barbecue by Adam Perry Lang. Copyright © 2009. Published by Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved. Photo: by David Loftus