Deviled eggs have to be one of the easiest things in the world to make and one of the most popular dishes on the salad table. Men absolutely love them as well. I am not sure why that is, but, it's true. If you bring a platter of deviled eggs to a pot luck party . . . you will be the most popular person at the party and everyone will be scrambling for your recipe! Tis true, cross my heart.
Some people like to put pickle relish and all sorts of other things into their picked eggs . . . but I like to keep it simple and it works. These eggs quite simply have nothing but mayo, some grainy mustard and a bit of seasoning in them. I cannot tell you the number of times a week I had to make these little babies when I was working as a Chef in the big house down south. There had to be a plate of them in the refrigerator at all times. They just loved them. They're a portable snack too.
Perfect in the picnic basket as well. You can put them together in pairs and wrap them up as a set. You just put the filling sides together and there's no mess at all. Easy peasy, lemon squeasy. I do think these are the best I've ever eaten myself. I like to garnish with a few fine-chopped fresh chives . . . the green looks so pretty against the egg yolk and the flavour is so mild it takes nothing away from the eggs themselves. Look for a few hints below on making hard boiled eggs.
Deviled Eggs
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
These are always the first thing to disappear from the salad table! I often double or triple the recipe as they are also very popular at Pot Luck Suppers, especially with the men!
4 hard boiled eggs (see tricks below)
3 TBS good quality mayonnaise (I like Helman's)
1 tsp of grainy Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 TBS minced fresh herbs to serve (parsley, chives, tarragon, etc.)
Peel the eggs, and then slice them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks into a bowl. Place the whites onto a serving plate. (You can line the plate with lettuce leaves or shredded lettuce to keep them from sliding about if you wish) Mash together the mayonnaise and egg yolks until smooth and creamy. Stir in the mustard and some salt and black pepper to taste. Pipe or spoon the yolk mixture into the hollows left in the egg whites. Sprinkle with some chopped fresh herbs if desired.
Tips for Creating Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs:
1. Older eggs are a lot easier to peel than newer eggs. I always use eggs that at least one week old, if not older. If you have eggs that are close to their expiration date, so much the better. It's true!
2. Boiled Eggs, should actually NEVER be boiled! Keeping them at a steady simmer is much better. Boiling toughens the yolk. Also, never add salt to the water. I do add a tiny bit of vinegar, which helps them to peel easier.
3. Always bring your eggs to room temperature before boiling. They are less likely to crack if you do this.
4. Don't stack your eggs in the pot. Have them laid out in one layer. If you have too many eggs to do this with, you need a larger pot! You only need about 1 inch of water over the top of the eggs. More than that and it takes too long to boil. Less than that and your eggs won't stay covered.
5. As soon as your water comes to the boil, remove your pot from the heat, pop a lid on and let them set in the boiling water for (17 minutes) large eggs, (20 minutes) jumbo eggs. At the end of that time, drain and then run cold water over them until they are cooled down. Let them sit in cold water for about 10 minutes and then drain. For ease of peeling roll them around and allow the shells to crack while they are still in the water. Let sit for a few minutes.
For ease in peeling these things help alot . . . using older eggs, beginning at the large end of the egg, peeling under running cold water. I usually tap the large end on the counter until it cracks, then give the egg a gentle roll all over before peeling them under a slow running tap. You will get perfect results almost 100% of the time.
I also have one of these hard plastic egg timer thingies. They work a charm and you end up with perfectly cooked Soft, Medium or Hard boiled eggs every time.
TIL NEXT TIME!!
