Duke's Tailgate Throwdown: Savory vs. Sweet
With Marcus Shell's skillet brownies and deviled eggs and a little help from Duke's Mayonnaise, you can root for both teams
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“When I think of tailgating, I think of my brothers and me outside of the stadium,” says Marcus Shell, the director of culinary operations at Uptown Hospitality Group in Charleston, South Carolina. For Shell, who grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts, but considers himself a lifelong San Francisco 49ers fan, showing off your parking lot grill skills was serious business. To earn the respect of your pre-gaming peers, you had to bring a little something extra to the enterprise. “That’s where the skillet brownie comes in,” he says.
Picture it: It’s a chilly November afternoon outside the stadium gates. There are chips and dips aplenty, probably a bucket of cold fried chicken too. But then, out of nowhere, you catch a fragrance with all the comfort of Grandma’s kitchen. How, you wonder, can there be warm brownies at a cold-weather tailgate? Shell has the answer.
“You skillet-bake them at home, pack them, then warm the skillet on the grill,” says the chef behind the forthcoming upscale neighborhood tavern By the Way. His tailgate power move doesn’t end there: Once they’re warm, Shell tops the brownies with a creamy Duke’s Mayo–infused frosting. (You’ll understand why once you make the recipe yourself using the instructions below.)
Shell grew up cooking alongside his mom, who trusted him to prepare family meals. After struggling in college with drugs and alcohol, Shell’s brother helped him attend culinary school, where he thrived. Upon moving to South Carolina, he met mentor Geoff Rhyne, who became a key influence in both his career and his commitment to maintaining sobriety. “He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” Shell says. Today Shell brings his culinary expertise and enthusiasm for clean living to every- thing he does, whether as a spokesperson for the state’s food scene or as a buddy at a tailgate—a space he says shouldn’t feel inaccessible to those in recovery.
For Shell, tailgating is about more than just food; it's about welcoming everyone.
For Shell, tailgating is about more than just food; it’s about welcoming everyone. For the sweet tooths of the bunch, he offers his Duke’s-improved brownies. For those craving something savory, Shell delivers Nduja deviled eggs, which pair Duke’s with Calabrian chiles. And “why not wash those down with a zero-proof drink?” he suggests. Shell’s go-to is Pellegrino with cranberry and a wedge of lime. “You still feel like you’re part of the action,” he says. And the buzz? He leaves that to his grill working its magic.
Find more tailgating tips and your own
warm welcome to Duke’s Country at DukesCountry.com
Marcus Shell's
Nduja Deviled Eggs
Yield: 24 eggs
ingredients
12 large eggs 2 tbsp. nduja sausage ¼ cup Duke’s Mayonnaise 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 tbsp. finely chopped chives (plus more for garnish) Salt and pepper, to taste Smoked paprika, for garnish
Preparation
Place the eggs in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Then transfer the eggs to an ice bath to cool.
Team
Savory
Nduja Deviled Eggs
VS
Let's go!
Team
Sweet
Skillet Fudge Brownies
with Duke’s Mayo Icing
Let's go!
Once the eggs are cool, peel them and cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks and place them in a mixer.
In a stand mixer, whip the egg yolks until they are smooth. Add the cooked nduja sausage, Duke’s Mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, chopped chives, salt, and pepper to the mashed yolks. Stir until well combined and creamy. You may need to divide this step into batches for easier mixing.
Pipe the nduja-infused filling into the egg white halves, dividing evenly among eggs.
Place the deviled eggs on multiple serving platters and refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Sprinkle with smoked paprika and additional chives for garnish. Serve.
ingredients
Yield: 6 brownies
Marcus Shell's
Skillet Fudge Brownies with Duke’s Mayo Icing
Preparation
Make the brownies:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar until well combined.
To the butter mixture, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
For the brownies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 2 cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. baking powder 1 cup Duke’s Mayo Icing (recipe follows)
For the Duke's Mayo Icing : ½ cup Duke’s Mayonnaise 2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2–3 tbsp. milk (as needed to adjust consistency)
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and spread evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Allow the brownies to cool. Once cooled, cover the skillet with tin foil and transport to the tailgate in a cooler. Once you’re ready for dessert, simply place the brownie skillet on a portable grill or flattop to reheat for about five minutes or until desired temperature is reached. Let cool slightly to prevent the icing from melting, or wait until you’ve reached the tailgate to frost, storing the icing in the cooler until ready to use.
Make the icing:
In a medium bowl, combine Duke’s Mayonnaise, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth, adding milk a tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.
Pipe or spread the icing over the cooled brownies before serving.
