Nana Cooks

Chickens get up early. On a farm ‘early up’ is one of the rooster’s jobs. I have not seen a rooster this morning, but I certainly qualify for the ‘early up.’ [It is about 3 am--ever have one of those,"I just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep nights?" So here I sit, ready to talk about chickens and some of the gifts they bring to the world.
I like chickens. I like they way they coo and cluck. They  look like one of those bobbing head dolls when they walk--up down, up down. And for an animal who suffers from the distinction of being the root of the expression, "stupid as a chicken,' they've got some good survival skills. Watch their eyes--they are always at the ready! And they scoot, flap ,and almost fly at any provocation.
I don't know if I have always  loved chicken. When I was young, I spent a lot of time on my grandmother's farm. And I helped with gathering eggs. One of the roosters did not like me. He jumped me and knocked me down--in the chicken coop! There I lay, dirty, crying, and screaming until my mother got him off. In my defence I really was a scrawny 4 year old. I was very careful after that, and I came to like getting the eggs from the nest, looking for the real ones and gleefully being able to spy the marble inducer egg. Grandma wanted me to avoid snakes. I certainly was willing to avoid them. But some how these black snakes always seemed to avoid me.
Now I live in a city--that allows people to have chicken coops in their back yard. but I have my excuses , so I don't have chickens..
But my friend Shealy does.
She has four. They live in a super looking, very safe, hen house. Sometimes when she's home, she lets them out into the yard. They follow her like little puppies. She's so lucky. She has two Delawares and two Dominiques. And as Shealy told me--with pride--they are heritage chickens-kinda' like walking heirloom tomatoes. They have names. There is Mary Ethel, Nell, Georgia and Xan Thippe. They are named for great grandmothers, grandmothers and aunts--no wonder they follow her around! {Extra points for anyone who knows who the first Xan Thippe was.}
I asked her for advice on eggs and egg recipes. This is pretty much what she told me;
"Get 4 day old chicks and pamper them like crazy. Build a really pretty coop. Make sure they are safe. When they start to lay, praise them and thank them. Feed them all sorts of good things--like collards. Collect the eggs and wipe off dirt, but do not wash until ready to use." [ Did you know that when a hen lays an eggs, she coats it with "bloom" ,which acts as a protective covering and keeps the egg fresh. Factory eggs must be washed before they are packaged, so the companies re-coat the eggs with mineral oil. The oil,or bloom, keeps the inter membrane from slightly shrinking--it is the shrinking that allows for easy peeling. }See I told you--chickens are smart--they coat the eggs to keep them fresh.
Shealy came over for dinner the other night and shared her recipes for deviled eggs. These are different for this southern woman, but I really like them, and hope you will try them.

Obviously you gotta' first cook the eggs, and there are lots of ideas on the amount of time necessary. Shealy suggests boiling them for 5 minutes and then covering and letting them sit for 20 minutes.  I prefer to just bring to a boil and then remove from  heat and let them sit until I get to them.  You may have your own method, but try to have them ready to boil.  If very fresh, let them sit out over night; if that's not possible, add a little vinegar to the boiling water--this will help remove the oil from the shell and  make them easier to peel!  Make certain the eggs have a little wiggle room and are covered with water.

Ok, now they are cooked and  ready for peeling.  Again, lots of methods.  Some people like to drain the water , cover the pot and shake it like crazy.  The eggs really do peel if they are still warm.  I prefer to take my chances, let them cool and use a spoon inserted into the cracked shell. This will clean the shell off.  Works like a charm. Now cut the eggs length wise and dump the yoke into a bowl.  Smash.  Save whites.

Now here are Shealy's three recipes

Wasabi Devils

Mix regular mayonnaise and Trader Joes Wasabi Mayonnaise to suit you taste.  Mix with egg yoke We found we preferred 2 parts mayonnaise to 1 part Trader Joe Wasabi mayo, but, suit yourself. 

 Add a dash of lemon juice 

Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill egg whites

Garnish--and this is where Shealy showed her egg smarts-- garnish with a sliver of Trader Joe's pickle ginger.! wow

Chipotle Devils

Mix yokes with regular mayo and mustard--until it looks right to you--not too runny

Add 1 tsp [or  more ] chipotle powder-mix

Fill whites and garnish with a sprinkle of chipotle powder

Curried Devils

Substitute cumin or curry for the chipotle.  Mix with regular mayo and salt and pepper. Cumin can be sprinkled on top.

All of these eggs are great and if you take them to the next gathering of friends–you’ll be famous.

 More mundane recipes:

Add mayo and chopped pickle to yokes.

Add cottage cheese  and mayo to yokes.

Add creamed cheese and mayo to yokes.

I love chickens and their eggs.  I’ll have a couple  more eggs recipes soon.

Hope your day is wonderful and your cooking fun and your meals satisfying.