Mushroom-Cap Stuffed Eggs with Cooked Mayonnaise Sauce
Hard-boiled eggs filled with a buttery sour-cream yolk mixture, topped with tomato “caps” to resemble mushrooms and served with cooked egg-and-cream mayonnaise.
Quick Summary
Hard-boiled eggs are hollowed and filled with sour cream, butter, and anchovy paste, then topped with tomato halves to resemble mushrooms. Served with a cooked, egg-thickened mayonnaise sauce, this cold appetizer is ideal for buffets.
Historical recipe
Modernised adaptation of an early 20th‑century source. Not independently kitchen-tested by Attic Recipes. Quantities, temperatures, and food safety guidance have been updated for a contemporary kitchen — results may vary and errors may exist. Nutritional values, where provided, are estimates only and have not been laboratory tested. Always follow current food safety guidelines for your region. If you have a health condition, allergy, or dietary requirement, consult a qualified professional before preparing this recipe.
Use of this recipe is entirely at your own risk and subject to ourTerms of Service andPrivacy Policy. Attic Recipes accepts no liability for any adverse outcome.
- Eggs
- Dairy
- Fish
- Mustard
Additional notes
Warning
The mayonnaise sauce contains whole eggs and must be cooked over gentle steam, whisking constantly, until fully thickened (about 74°C/165°F) to eliminate raw-egg risk. Pregnant women, young children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals should avoid the sauce if it hasn't thickened properly.
Note
This dish is high in saturated fat and cholesterol per serving, largely from the number of eggs, butter, and sour cream used. Those managing cholesterol or saturated fat intake should enjoy it in moderation.
Note
Contains fish (anchovy paste). Not suitable for anyone with a fish allergy.
Note
Contains mustard. Not suitable for anyone with a mustard allergy.
- 1
Hard-boil the 12 eggs (about 10-12 minutes from a boil). Cool, then peel.
TipCooling the eggs in ice water right after boiling makes the shells come off cleanly. - 2
Slice a thin piece off the wider, rounded end of each peeled egg so it can stand upright on its own.
- 3
From the top of each egg, slice off just enough egg white to be able to remove the yolk whole. Scoop the yolks into a bowl.
- 4
Add the 30g butter and 100ml sour cream to the yolks and beat until smooth.
TipA fork works, but a hand mixer gives a smoother, easier-to-pipe filling. - 5
Mix the 1 tbsp anchovy paste, 1 tsp mustard, and a pinch each of salt and pepper into the yolk mixture.
- 6
Fill the hollowed egg whites with the yolk mixture, mounding it slightly on top.
TipPiping the filling with a bag gives a neater finish than spooning it in. - 7
Cut the tops off the 12 tomatoes to make 'caps.' Scoop the seeds and flesh out of each cap with a small spoon so it sits flush when placed on an egg.
- 8
Stand the filled eggs upright in a shallow serving dish. Set a tomato cap, cut side down, on top of each egg so it resembles a mushroom.
- 9
On each tomato cap, place a few small dots of the cooked mayonnaise (made in the next steps) once it's ready.
- 10
To make the sauce: in a heatproof bowl, whisk together the 4 whole eggs, 4 tsp oil, 4 tbsp sour cream, the juice of 2 lemons, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the 1/2 tsp sugar until combined.
- 11
Set the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water (bain-marie) and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens into a smooth, spoonable sauce.
TipAim for around 74°C (165°F). Keep the heat gentle and keep whisking — direct high heat will scramble the eggs instead of thickening them evenly. - 12
Dot a little of the warm sauce onto each tomato cap, then pour the rest into a small serving cup. Serve the stuffed eggs with the remaining sauce on the side.
Nutrition Informationper 1 serving (2 stuffed eggs with sauce, approx 180g)
Nutritional values are approximate estimates and may vary based on specific ingredients used, preparation methods, and portion sizes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve chilled or at cool room temperature as a cold starter, with the mayonnaise sauce on the side for dipping or spooning over.
About This Recipe
This is a dressed-up version of a stuffed egg: the yolks come out, get mixed with butter, sour cream, anchovy paste, and mustard, then go back into the whites. What makes it distinctive is the presentation — a hollowed tomato half sits on top of each egg like a cap, turning the whole thing into a little mushroom for the table.
Alongside the eggs, a separate sauce does double duty as both garnish and dip: a cooked mayonnaise made from whole eggs, oil, sour cream, and lemon juice, whisked over gentle steam heat until it thickens into something between a custard and a dressing. A few dots go on each tomato cap, with the rest served in a small cup on the side.
It’s a cold buffet dish built from a handful of simple components, best assembled close to serving so the eggs stay neat and the tomato caps don’t weep liquid onto the plate.
Why It Works
Cooking the mayonnaise instead of whisking it together raw and cold does two things: it fully cooks the whole eggs it contains, and it lets the sauce thicken with just eggs, oil, and cream rather than needing a delicate cold emulsion that can break easily. Whisked constantly over gentle steam heat, the proteins in the egg set gradually into a smooth, pourable sauce rather than scrambling.
Scooping the seeds and flesh out of the tomato cap does more than tidy up the look — it removes the wettest part of the tomato, so the cap sits flush on the egg and doesn’t slide off or leak juice onto the filling.
Modern Kitchen Tips
- Whisk the mayonnaise sauce constantly and keep the heat gentle — if it’s moving too fast toward scrambled eggs, pull the bowl off the heat for a few seconds and keep whisking before returning it.
- Assemble the eggs and tomato caps no more than an hour or two before serving; tomatoes release liquid over time and can make the plate watery.
- A small offset spatula or the back of a teaspoon makes quick work of scooping tomato flesh cleanly.
A classic of early 20th century home cooking, preserved and adapted for the modern kitchen.
The Story Behind This Recipe
Historical Context
Presenting stuffed eggs under a shaped vegetable 'cap' to imitate another food entirely was a common decorative technique on early 20th century cold buffet tables. The sauce here is a cooked mayonnaise — whole eggs, oil, cream, and lemon juice whisked together and thickened over gentle steam heat rather than emulsified raw and cold. This stovetop method was the standard way to get a thick, stable mayonnaise-style sauce before shelf-stable, food-safe raw-egg mayonnaise was common in the home kitchen. 'Sardelen-pasta,' the paste called for in the filling, is a period term for anchovy paste.
Modern Kitchen Adaptation
No amount was given in the original for the anchovy paste or the mustard; both are estimated here at a level that seasons the filling without overpowering it — adjust to taste. The 'piece of butter' and 'one deciliter of sour cream' are converted to 30g and 100ml respectively. The mayonnaise sauce must be cooked to a full, thickened set (about 74°C/165°F) to make the whole eggs it contains food-safe; whisk constantly and don't let it boil, or the eggs will scramble instead of forming a smooth sauce. Cooks using pasteurized eggs could substitute a quick raw mayonnaise instead, though the cooked version keeps its texture well and is naturally food-safe as written.
This recipe is an independent modern adaptation developed from historical sources in the public domain. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional dietary, nutritional, or medical advice. Food preparation involves inherent risks. The reader assumes full responsibility for safe food handling, ingredient sourcing, and adherence to current local food safety guidelines. The site operator accepts no liability for outcomes resulting from the preparation or consumption of this recipe.
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