Huevos Rellenos con Trucha ( Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs with Lemon Aioli)

It is Tapas month on foodies plus and the ideas are flowing freely! This is another idea inspired by my Tapas cookbook, and a variation of Huevos Rellenos that includes canned tuna. While we enjoy canned tuna, our favorite type of preserved fish is smoked trout in oil. We often enjoy smoked trout in a salad with a bright, zesty citrus dressing, so I hit upon the idea of whipping up a lemon aioli to use in my deviled eggs to compliment the rich, smoky flavor of the trout. It turned out to be a really fabulous combination with a lot of personality. I garnished my deviled eggs with capers and cornichons, as well as a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

I’m including the Lemon Aioli recipe, which was an adaptation of Williams-Sonoma’s Lemon Garlic Aioli (without the garlic; it just didn’t fit with the other flavors), because I really feel that this dressing made the dish; if you’re pressed for time or don’t have a stand or immersion mixture, you can always use store bought mayo and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the yolks (before adding mayonnaise or anything else). I recommend making the aioli hours to a day ahead of time to give it time to set. You’ll have some leftover. It makes a fantastic dipping sauce for grilled artichokes and is really yummy in chicken salad, as well as in a potato salad (particularly if made with yukon gold potatoes).

Huevos Rellenos con Trucha

(Makes 16 deviled eggs)

8 hard boiled eggs, peeled
5 Tablespoons lemon  aioli (see recipe below)
50 grams smoked trout
2 teaspoons mustard powder
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

1. Cut eggs in half and pop yolks out into a mixing bowl.
2. Set whites aside and mix the filling: Add everything except the smoked trout to the mixing bowl and mix until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, flake the trout until it is just broken up. Fold trout in to the filling (egg yolk) mixture. Fill the egg white cavities with the yolk filling.
4. Serve sprinkled with capers and a dash of cayenne. A separate bowl of cornichons goes great with these stuffed eggs.

Lemon Aioli

(Makes 8 ounces)

2 eggs yolks, brought to room temperature
zest of 1 lemon
juice of two lemons
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 1/2 cups neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine egg yolks, lemon zest, half the lemon juice and mustard powder. Attach the whisk attachment. Turn mixer on full speed and whisk until egg yolks are foamy (approximately 45 seconds).
2. Turn the speed down just a bit (mine goes to 8 and I turned it down to 7) and begin adding the oil, a little drizzle at a time, being careful to create an emulsion and not to break the egg yolks. When you’ve incorporated 2/3rds of the oil, add remaining lemon juice. Drizzle the rest of oil slowly into the mixture. Turn mixer off.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then pour into a glass jar. Cover jar and allow to set in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, and up to 24 hours.