Three 5-Ingredient or Less NYE Bites

Achari-deviled eggs, miso-furikake candied pecans, and more.

After a marathon of cooking, from Thanksgiving to Christmas/Chanukah/Winter Solstice/general, non-denominational winter holidays, New Year’s Eve should be all about ease. One simple trick for low-lift, big flavor is reaching for premade condiments and seasonings that pack a punch, like achaar (South Asian pickles), different types of chili pastes like sambal, harissa, gochujang, and bomba (Calabrian hot peppers), chili crisp, furikake, togarashi, and everything bagel seasoning.

Using these store-bought helpers, I’ve put together three celebratory NYE bites that only require 5 ingredients or less—water, salt, and pepper are freebie ingredients.

1. First, a bright, zippy take on the party fave: the deviled egg. These are flavored with spicy lemon pickle and fresh lemon zest, and topped with either tender green herbs or store-bought fried onions (you can also do both, but that would make it six ingredients, gasp!).

2. Second, coming in hot, are miso-furikake candied pecans—inspired by those Japanese sweet and savory snack mixes—which are highly munchable and downright addictive.

3. And, lastly, little endive boats with herby crème fraîche and smoked trout roe, which bring fresh, crispy elegance.

Each one is great on its own to start the evening, or serve all three as a nibbly little trio alongside your favorite bottle of bubbly or non-alcoholic cocktail (I’ve been on a phony negroni kick) as the main event. The recipe for Achari-Deviled Eggs is FREE for all subscribers, while the Miso-Furikake Candied Pecans and the Endive with Herby Crème Fraîche and Trout Roe are paid subscriber-only recipes.

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Achari-Deviled Eggs

Store-bought lemon or lime pickle—which you can find at your local South Asian supermarket and in the “international” aisle of some grocery stores—varies in spice , strength and salinity from jar to jar, so start with 1 tablespoon and add more to taste. You can also use other types of achaar, like Brooklyn Delhi’s Roasted Garlic or Tomato Achaar. If you use a non-citrus achaar, you may need to add a touch more lemon juice to balance everything out. Technically, this recipe has a 6th ingredient as an optional garnish: Store-bought fried onions. While, these aren’t necessary, they do make a fun, textural touch.

Makes 12 deviled eggs

INGREDIENTS

• 6 eggs

• ¼ cup good-quality mayonnaise

• 1 to 2 tablespoons jarred lemon pickle or Cheat Lemon Pickle

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• Kosher salt, to taste

• Tender green herbs, like cilantro, dill, chives, or parsley

• Store-bought fried onions (optional)

METHOD

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower 6 large eggs into the boiling water, and boil for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a bowl large enough to fit the eggs. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the boiled eggs to the ice bath and let sit for 10 minutes. Peel the eggs, discarding the shells, then cut each egg in half lengthwise. Carefully separate the yolks from the whites, transferring the yolks to a large bowl and the whites to a rimmed sheet pan or plate.

3. Add ¼ cup good-quality mayonnaise, 1 to 2 tablespoons jarred lemon pickle (if you are using my Cheat Lemon Pickle or if your achaar is too chunky, finely chop it and then add it—see headnote about achaar strengths), the zest of 1 lemon, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the mixture until smooth and everything is incorporated. Taste and season with salt, if necessary. Then, transfer the filling to a zip-top bag.

4. To assemble, pipe the filling into the hole of each egg white, garnish with the roughly chopped tender green herbs of your choice and store-bought fried onions, if desired, transfer the finished eggs to a serving platter and serve immediately. (See “Make-ahead” below for tips on preparing in advance.)

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Make-ahead: There are a couple ways you can make these up to 1 day in advance—whatever you do save the garnishing for right before serving, if you can to keep the herbs from getting wilty and the fried onions, if you’re using them, sogging out:

• Place the egg white halves on a rimmed sheet tray and keep the filling separate, cover and refrigerate, then pipe and garnish right before serving.

• Pipe the filling into the egg white halves, cover and refrigerate, and the garnish right before serving (the top of the filling might get smushed, but you can hide that with the garnishes!).