Lox Deviled Eggs

There’s a restaurant in Dunedin, called Clear Sky Draught Haus.  They have a killer appetizer…Lox Deviled Eggs.  It is styled after a classic lox and bagel combo of salmon, cream cheese, red onion, capers, and dill.  Mary Jo and I are staying with our daughter Amy for the summer and Amy has chickens!  5 laying chickens as a matter of fact, so fresh eggs are plentiful.  Recreating this delicious appetizer was naturally on my to-do list.

Amy has several varieties of chickens; 2 red ones, 2 black and white speckled, and one black one.  They each lay different colored eggs.  Amy could tell which is which, but I’ll just say they are all good.

Lox Deviled Eggs

     Salmon

I went to the nearby Cub Foods store and found this package of salmon which is Nova Lox.  Traditional lox is salmon that is salt cured and never cooked or smoked.  It is then served in thin slices.

        Cold smoked salmon

The salmon that I bought is actually Nova Scotia cold smoked salmon.  It is cold smoked after the brining process.  It is also very thinly sliced.  Cold smoking is putting the salmon into a smoky atmosphere at about 80°F for a couple days.  It leaves the salmon with a moist and silky texture, and retains the nice pink/red color of the meat.

        Hot smoked salmon

Hot smoked salmon is processed like smoked meat in a 250°F atmosphere.  It becomes firm and flaky, and has a drier texture.  The smoke flavor is very pronounced.  It also can be heavily seasoned.

When you look for salmon for lox deviled eggs, I recommend getting a cold smoked.  It is usually found in 3 to 4 ounce packages, and is kind of expensive.  This 3 ounce package was $4.50.  At our Publix store in Florida, I’ve seen it for up to $8.00 for a 4 ounce package.  I made the 6 deviled eggs, (12 halves),  and used about 2 ounces of salmon.  The remaining salmon will be eaten with cream cheese on a baguette!

Here’s a shot of the rest of the farm…(hey, we are right in Minneapolis)!  These are the Meaties.  They have another 5 weeks or so before they get processed.  Then I’ll have some good chicken recipes for you.

Before I started this recipe, I asked Mary Jo how she usually makes deviled eggs.  She said that she usually doesn’t measure anything, just mixes it up until it tastes good.  Alright…I mixed everything up, (but I did measure), then added a few twists to ensure a unique flavor.  I must admit, they really taste good.  Smokey salmon flavor with salty capers and tart onion.  Perfect appetizer for any time of year.

Here’s the printable recipe for Lox Deviled Eggs.

Enjoy!

Lox Deviled Eggs

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 57 minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Joe Boyle

Ingredients

• 6 hard boiled eggs
• 2 to 3 oz. cold smoked salmon , divided (see below)
• 1 oz . cream cheese , (2 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped smoked salmon , (1/4 to 1/3 oz.)
• 1 tbsp capers , patted dry and chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh dill , chopped
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• Dill , capers, chopped red onion for garnish
• Black pepper if desired

Instructions

• Hard boil the eggs: place in a sauce pan and add cold water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and lightly boil for 12 minutes. Run cold water into the saucepan to cool the eggs, remove most of the water, and add 2 or 3 handfuls of ice. Let cool 15 minutes then crack and peel the eggs.
• Cut the hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise, and remove the yolk.
• Place egg whites on a platter and the yolks in a small bowl.
• Use a fork to mash the egg yolks into fine pieces.
• Add the cream cheese, mayo, Dijon, red onion, chopped salmon, chopped capers, dill, salt, and lemon juice and stir to combine, (a rubber spatula works well for this)
• Transfer this mixture to a quart sized plastic bag, and cut one of the corners, about 1/4 inch to create a piping bag.
• Fill the egg halves to overflowing with the egg yolk mixture.
• Cut the salmon as necessary to make approximately 1 in. by 1 1/2 in. squares and roll these up and press into the yolk.
• Add a small sprig of fresh dill to each, and add 2 or 3 capers on each egg half.
• Sprinkle some chopped onion on top to garnish.
• Lightly pepper the eggs if desired.
• Serve cold, store covered in the refrigerator.