The Unexpected Ingredient Rachael Ray Uses In Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a timeless appetizer or snack food. So timeless, in fact, that their earliest form, a spicy boiled egg, was hatched in ancient Rome, per the North Carolina Egg Association. And people in 13th-century Spain enjoyed what may have been the first stuffed eggs. 

The basic concept has survived into modern times. A conventional deviled egg recipe involves splitting hard-boiled eggs, removing the yolks, and beating them with mayonnaise and flavorings before adding the mixture back into the cooked egg white as a delivery vehicle for all the creamy flavor. 

One of the most charming aspects of a deviled egg is how it can act as a blank canvas. Anything can be added to the filling to bring out the flavor profile you want. If you ask enough fans of this dish, you're bound to find some who have special ways of making it. And Rachael Ray is no exception. Cooking tips and tricks are her bread and butter, or her deviled eggs and ... one fishy ingredient.

A lot has changed since the days of ancient Roman deviled eggs, but Rachael Ray still makes a version that sounds fit for a Caesar ... salad. According to the "Rachael Ray Show" website, the star's deviled eggs are made with anchovy paste and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. If that combination sounds familiar, it's because anchovy paste and Parmigiano-Reggiano are foundational to a traditional Caesar dressing recipe. In a video segment, Ray specifically says the anchovy paste is necessary for making the eggs "taste like Caesar salad." She adds a dash of chopped romaine lettuce to help sell the salad angle. 

The Food Network website posted Ray's recipe, and most of the commenters gave it five stars. One person who had a positive experience wrote, "Very good! A nice change from the typical overplayed deviled egg." However, not everyone was enthused. A person who left a one-star rating said that the eggs weren't well-received by her family because of how strong the anchovy paste was and recommended adding a little less.

Of course, there's more than one way to crack an egg. And if you're looking to devil them, the sky's the limit; you can add ingredients ranging from bacon to avocado. You can even deep-fry the egg whites for extra texture, suggests the Food Network. It's also important to make sure you get the technique right by properly hard-boiling the eggs and serving them quickly without giving the appetizer time to warm up.

When she's not making Caesar-inspired deviled eggs, Rachael Ray enjoys a morning frittata from time to time. And if you're intimidated about making the breakfast dish, she has a few tricks up her sleeve, too. Per a February TikTok video, Ray advises using your skillet size to determine how many eggs to add to your frittata. "One egg per inch of pan is the formula I use, so an 8-inch yields 2 to 3 portions, a 12-inch yields 5 to 6 portions," Ray explained in a 2021 "Rachael Ray Show" blog post about her "Greek spinach pie frittata" recipe.

Ray also loves using eggs in savory recipes, including her take on chicken and egg ramen and her famous pasta carbonara recipe. Name a recipe, and Ray has probably tried adding eggs to it.

Eggs have numerous health benefits; clearly, Ray has the right idea. One egg contains a number of vitamins, as well as protein and healthy fat, per Healthline.

When it comes to deviled eggs and breakfast frittatas, not just any old egg will do. In a Food Network profile, Rachael Ray said that eggs are "one of those grocery items worth paying a premium for." Ray prefers cage-free chicken eggs — but if you can get your hands on them, there's an even more specific type of egg she recommends.

Per the Food Network, Ray prefers eggs from Araucana chickens, a South American breed that lays eggs with a blue-tinted shell. Fans of these rare chicken eggs believe they're tastier than traditional eggs, though they may be higher in cholesterol, per a study published in the Poultry Science journal. But taste and nutrition aside, there's just something visually appealing about eggs with colored shells.

Whatever type of eggs you prefer, Ray's tips for dishes such as deviled eggs and frittatas will help you make the most of this humble but mighty ingredient.