Devilled eggs

Devils — the culinary variety — date well back into the eighteenth century of British eating. To try for a definition of these piquant dishes is a difficult task, for their ingredients were varied and up to the whim of the cook. To my mind, they are “twice-spiced” concoctions. The basic meat, fish or eggs (often leftovers) were cooked with proprietary sauces or chutneys and often mustard for good measure, in addition to liberal sprinklings of cayenne, black pepper, or other spices that look