Celebrating New Year's Eve with deviled eggs 12 ways

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(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times )

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Deviled eggs with relish and whole grain mustard. Adapted from a recipe by chef Roy Choi of Commissary restaurant. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

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Deviled eggs with California white sturgeon caviar, adapted from a recipe by chef Thomas Keller. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

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Deviled eggs with smoked salmon, fennel and capers. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

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Sun-dried-tomato-stuffed eggs. Adapted from a recipe by Mary Ellen Rae, formerly of The Times Test Kitchen. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

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Everything spice deviled eggs. Adapted from a recipe by chef Daniel Patterson’s of Alta restaurant in San Francisco. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

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Deviled eggs with uni. Adapted from a recipe by chef Jason Fullilove of Barbara Jean restaurant. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

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Deviled Jidori eggs with kimchi. Adapted from a recipe by chef Michael Hung, formerly of Faith & Flower. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

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Deviled eggs with chicharrones. Adapted from a recipe by chef Josef Centeno of Bar Amá restaurant. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

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Deviled eggs with croutons and pickled mustard seed. Adapted from a recipe by chef Sam Jung of Church & State. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

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Deviled eggs with smoked fish. Adapted from a recipe by chef Govind Armstrong of Post & Beam restaurant. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

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Deviled eggs with Champagne vinegar. Adapted from a recipe in “A Girl and Her Pig” by April Bloomfield. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

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Deviled eggs with chile flake and sea salt. Adapted from a recipe from Manuela restaurant. 12 recipes for deviled eggs »

(Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

By Jenn HarrisColumnist

Dec. 28, 2017 9 AM PT

If there aren’t any deviled eggs at a cocktail party, did the party really happen? I have a friend who is adamant that a celebration is not a celebration without a platter of deviled eggs. And she isn’t the only one. Deviled eggs make an appearance on restaurant menus all over the city; and they’ve been associated with cocktail parties and celebrations since post-World War II America.

Modern iterations of the dish have come a long way from those made in the 1940s, which mostly consisted of mayonnaise, paprika and mustard. Chef Sam Jung puts pickled mustard seeds and crunchy croutons on the deviled eggs at Church & State in downtown L.A. There’s gochujang paste and kimchi juice in the eggs at Faith & Flower, another downtown restaurant. And at Barbara Jean in Fairfax, chef Jason Fullilove spikes his deviled eggs with yuzu-kosho, then tops them with uni.

Just think of the deviled egg as a perfectly composed dish: bite-sized flavor bombs that offer a study in both texture and balance. The acid component — often from vinegar, mustard or lemon — should pop. The texture, smoothed by an aioli or mayonnaise, should be silky and luxurious. And the garnish — which can vary from sprigs of dill to crumbled chicharrones, a quenelle of caviar or a sprinkle of Everything Bagel spice — should tie all the flavors together while riffing further on the textures of the dish.

12 recipes for deviled eggs »

Because any party you throw should be a celebration, particularly one thrown on the last night of the year, here are 12 different ways to make deviled eggs — with recipes from chefs Daniel Patterson (Alta), Govind Armstrong (Post & Beam), Roy Choi (Commissary), April Bloomfield (Hearth & Hound), Josef Centeno (Bar Amá) and more.

How long you boil your eggs — and whether you use an immersion blender, or good old-fashioned elbow grease to make your own aioli — is up to you. Some eggs call for garlic aioli, others require a little Kewpie mayonnaise. Some require a dash of Tabasco sauce, while others favor a couple splashes of Champagne vinegar. Whatever you decide, just be sure you make enough for everyone.

Jenn.Harris@latimes.com

@Jenn_Harris_

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