Dishin’ With Debbie-Deviled Eggs w/Jalapenos & Maple Bourbon Bacon
For some reason, Spring seems to call for deviled eggs.
This version was inspired by an appetizer we had at a barbecue restaurant several years ago. Our son loved them, and of course, I had to find a way to re-create them at home. Try not to eat all the bacon before you finish making the eggs!
Ingredients:
5-6 eggs
1/4-1/3 cup mayo
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
sweet spicy pickle relish
smoked paprika
pinch of salt
6-8 slices thick cut bacon
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
splash of bourbon (optional)
fresh jalapeño slices (optional)
Directions:
Feel free to use your favorite deviled egg recipe. Mine calls for eggs that are placed in a pot and covered with water. Bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. If you have an Instant Pot pressure cooker, the 5-5-5 method works great. Five minutes pressure cook, 5 minutes natural release, 5 minutes in an ice bath and peel. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Mash up the yolks in a bowl, adding mayo, mustard, a pinch of salt and smoked paprika. Stir in chopped pickles. Spoon filling into egg halves. Now for the bacon. Heat oven to 400. Line a sheet tray with parchment or foil. Do not skip this. It saves a huge clean up! Place a cooling rack on top. Lay out the bacon in a single layer. In a saucepan, add brown sugar, syrup, and bourbon. Be careful if you have an open gas flame. Remove from heat before adding bourbon for safety. Stir and warm on low to medium heat until sugar dissolves and is a glaze-like consistency. Using a pastry brush, “paint” the glaze onto the bacon. Cook for 10-15 minutes on one side. Remove from oven and flip bacon over. Brush glaze on another side. Return to oven for another 8-10 minutes. To really get good crisp bacon, you can then turn oven to broil setting. Raise rack to a few inches from the top and broil bacon on each side for about a minute. Watch closely, because it will burn quickly. Allow cooling for a couple of minutes. It will get firmer the longer it sits. Chop and add to deviled eggs. Garnish with fresh jalapeño slices if you like.
Note: Preparing the bacon the day before can save time. It will keep in the fridge just fine. It is a little effort, but the bacon is so worth making. I can imagine it would be good on salads, sprinkled in soups or even in a potato salad!
