At long last, the blog is back after a short hiatus! Forgive me, folks. Due to roommate birthdays, crazy day job workload, foundation repair and new flooring, my final #DISHTOPIA recipe post inspired by the Fallout series got put on hold. But I’m back now and I’m super excited to premiere my recipe for Yum Yum Deviled Eggs!
Click here to jump to the recipe for Yum Yum Deviled Eggs!
Pre-War Packaged Goodness
For those only not as familiar with Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic gaming phenomenon, the Fallout series envisions a retro-futuristic America that embraced robotics and nuclear energy while never ditching the poodle skirts, victory rolls, or automat diners of the 1940’s-early 60’s aesthetic. Think “Leave it to Beaver” smashed together with “The Jetsons”– that is instead of advancing to flying cars, the world decides to bomb itself to hell and leave the survivors to rebuild in a wasteland of mutated monsters and moralities.
Very much in the style of American Mid-Century manufacturing, pre-war companies pushed out packaged delicacies chock-full of flavor AND preservatives. How full, you ask? Survivors of the war still enjoy their irradiated goodness centuries after their production. Why risk life and limb hunting down a giant, radioactive bipedal alligator when you can chomp down on some 200-year-old snack cakes?
Yum Yum Deviled Eggs
Manufactured by the YumYum packaged foods company before the Great War, this freeze-dried treat will keep you satiated –with only a little radiation. In Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas you can find them in abandoned kitchens around the wasteland. In Fallout 4’s Contraption’s Workshop add-on you can make them with a food processor, mirelurk eggs, plastic, and oil.
While I’m all for authenticity, I’m also for edibility and palatability. I’m also against food-poisoning and lawsuits, so that’s why I made just a few substitutions. Since mirelurks are giant mutated crabs and non-existent in our universe, I used lump crab meat instead. Instead of just plastic or oil, I used the culinary equivalent: processed American cheese singles! Please unwrap them before using.
Deviled eggs normally involve mixing yolk with mayonnaise and mustard before piping them back into their hard-boiled whites. While you could make mirelurk mayonnaise from scratch, do you really want to fight that many mirelurk-mamas for a quickly spoiled condiment? I didn’t think so. I chose to use prepackaged yum yum sauce instead. It’s in the name. I don’t feel like I need to explain this further.
So admittedly the most difficult thing about deviled eggs is peeling them cleanly after boiling. The trick is to run cold water over them a couple of times to release the inner membrane. After that, you drain and seal the pot and shake those eggs like a malfunctioning Mr. Handy.
Like the recipe from Fallout 4, I also recommend you use a food processor to blend the filling. Unlike the recipe, though, I do not recommend that you freeze dry the finished eggs — because gross. It’s true this recipe will not travel well in a desert wasteland. It IS true, however, that your guests will adore its bay-seasoning-garnished goodness should you present it at your next party.
Pair it with some Radstag Stew, Deezer’s Lemonade, Nuka Cola, or Brahmin Wellington. You will be sought out by every faction for your culinary skill.
recipe
The Grand Poohbah of all Mirelurk Cuisine
Yum Yum Deviled Eggs
Makes two dozen pieces
Equipment: Stovetop, large saucepan with a lid, food processor or blender, sharp chef’s knife, serving platter, plastic wrap, and optional – piping bag with a large star decorating tip.
Ingredients:
- 12 eggs
- 6 oz. can lump crab meat, drained
- 1/2 cup yum yum sauce
- 2 slices American processed cheese
- pinch kosher salt
- bay seasoning
Instructions:
- Place six eggs in the saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat on the stovetop. Cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit covered for 12 minutes.
- Drain the pot using the pot’s lid as a colander. Run cold water on the eggs and drain 3-4 times. Tightly hold the lid on the pot and shake to crack the egg shells. Place the eggs on a paper towel-lined plate to dry and repeat the process with the other six eggs.
- Carefully peel the shells off the eggs and discard while the other eggs cook. Slice the eggs in half length-wise and scoop the yolks into the bowl of a food processor or blender. If you are having trouble removing the yolks, try lightly flexing the whites to pop them out. Repeat with the next batch of cooked eggs.
- Add the cheese, crabmeat, yum yum sauce, and salt to the yolks and process until it is a uniformly-blended paste. Transfer the yolk mixture to a pastry bag and pipe them into the wells egg whites, or scoop the mixture carefully with a spoon.
- Arrange the finished deviled eggs on a platter and sprinkle bay seasoning on top. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until serving.
