Deviled Eggs

Classic deviled eggs are always the first thing to disappear from the appetizer platter. Beloved party and picnic fare, the simple techniques for making them are a handy skill to have in your culinary arsenal (below, you'll find useful tips for making them easily and successfully). These healthy, 2-bite snacks are protein-rich and delicious.

Who doesn't like a deviled egg? Simple, classic, zesty, and comforting. (I hate to admit that my husband and I can polish off a batch of these in mere minutes - scarfed down without any dignity!)

I'll walk you through the steps to make deviled eggs easy, and give you some tips and tricks to make them extra-special.

What You'll Need for Deviled Eggs

• eggs, of course: any size will work, but large eggs make for a nice, 2-bite size for each deviled egg half.
• mayonnaise: full-fat makes for the most luscious eggs, but other kinds will work, too. You can replace some or all of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt to lighten the filling, but the flavour will be slightly different.
• mustard: this is what makes them officially 'deviled'. It also provides a tanginess that cuts through the richness of the egg yolk. Both Dijon mustard or prepared yellow mustard work well. Dijon mustard gives a bit more 'bite' and yellow mustard provides the original piquant deviled egg taste.
• salt: just a bit, to bring out flavours.
• pepper: use white pepper to give a floral bite without the black specks or use a touch of Tabasco sauce or another favourite hot sauce to give some kick without making the eggs noticeably spicy.
• vinegar: to add more zip. Use your favourite vinegar, like white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, or use lemon juice instead. Distilled white vinegar will also work. Pickle juice can be substituted, but increase the amount to 1 teaspoon since it also contains water.
• sugar: the secret ingredient. This is optional, but just a tiny amount helps balance the acidity of the mustard, and you won't taste it in the eggs, I promise.
• garnish: a sprinkle of paprika is traditional (use a small tea sieve to sprinkle it evenly). A pinch of chopped chives or a tiny sprig of dill or parsley adds a bright touch and perks up the plate. You can also customize your eggs with any favourite tasty garnish, like a bit of crumbled bacon or chunk of crispy bacon, a thin slice of pickle, a dollop of caviar and sprig of dill, a bit of red onion and tiny sprig of parsley, a small piece of pickled jalapeño or hot pepper, pickled carrot or asparagus . . . let your creativity guide you!

Boil the Eggs

You'll need hard-boiled eggs with fully cooked yolks. There are two methods that work well. For both of them, have a large bowl of ice-cold water ready to submerge the eggs into as soon as they are finished cooking (this prevents a grey rim around the yolks).

• Steaming: This method is fool-proof and is especially useful if you think your eggs might be quite fresh. The steaming method for boiled eggs makes them easy to peel every time. (Unfortunately, fresh eggs can be harder to peel, leaving bits of egg whites attached to the shells.) Some eggs are a bit larger, so I always steam my eggs for deviled eggs for an extra 2 minutes (17 minutes in total) to ensure that the yolks are fully hard-cooked (if not, they make for a lumpy filling).
• Boiling: Fill a large pot with about 4 inches (10 cm) of water and bring it to a boil. Lower the eggs (directly from the fridge) into the water with a strainer or large spoon. Keep the water at a steady low boil and cook the eggs for 12 minutes, then immediately immerse them into cold water to stop them from cooking.

Pop Out the Yolks

Once the eggs are cooled, slice each one in half lengthwise. Gently push on the outside of each egg half to pop out the yolk. Set the whites onto a serving dish - there are special deviled egg dishes with indents for each egg (I found mine at the thrift store), but you can use a regular platter. Make sure the outside of the egg whites are dry, so they don't slide around on the plate, or place a paper doily underneath them to keep them in place.

3 Ways to Mash the Yolks

The quickest and easiest method is to mash the egg yolks with a fork. They may not be quite as smooth as the other methods, but they make for delicious, classic deviled eggs. This method is best suited for piling the filling casually into the whites with a spoon - simple and rustic.

For a smooth and creamy filling, you can press the boiled yolks through a sieve with the back of a large spoon. For this, it's better to use a coarse-meshed sieve. Make sure to scrape all the yolk off the outside of the sieve when you're done, too.

If you have a mini-chopper/mini-food-processor, you can whiz up the yolks until they are powdery, then add the other ingredients and make the filling directly in the canister of the mini-chopper. A large food processor won't work for a 6-egg batch of deviled eggs, but if you're scaling up to make a large batch, it will work well.

Make the Filling

Transfer the mashed egg yolks to a bowl, add the other ingredients, and stir to make a smooth deviled egg paste (or mix the filling right in the canister if using a mini-chopper).

And Fill the Deviled Eggs

Simple or fancy, both ways taste equally delicious!

Easiest: You can scoop the filling into the egg white shells using two teaspoons - classic, rustic, and charming.

More Fancy: Pipe the filling into the shells with a piping bag fitted with a smooth round or a fluted tip. If you don't have a piping bag, fill a small zip-top bag with the filling, snip off one corner to make about a ¼-inch hole, and squeeze it out to fill the shells.

Tips and Tricks

• cook the eggs a minute longer than you usually do to make sure the yolks are fully cooked and easy to mash
• plunge the eggs immediately after cooking into a bowl of cold or ice water, to quickly cool them down and prevent the grey ring from forming around the yolk. Change the water several times to keep it cold, until the eggs are fully cool - at least 10 minutes.
• steam the eggs for easy peeling
• or boil the eggs and stir them gently for the first 5 minutes to make sure the yolk is centered in the egg, preventing 'skinny' sidewalls on the egg white
• after chilling, tap the eggs gently on the counter to crack the shell all over, then peel them under running water over a colander in the sink (to catch the shells) or peel them while they are submerged in a large bowl of water
• push the cooked yolks through a sieve or whiz them in a mini-processor for an extra-smooth filling
• add a tiny bit of sugar to the filling to balance the acidity
• for an extra-generous, piled-high filling, add an extra yolk to the filling plus an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise

Make Ahead

You can partially prepare deviled eggs up to 3 or 4 days before you plan to serve them, keeping the whites and filling separately. Boil the eggs, halve them, remove the yolks, and prepare the filling. Keep the filling in a sealed container in the fridge, and place the egg white halves in a single layer in a paper-towel-lined flat container or on a paper-towel-lined plate (if you pile them up or squish them together in the container, they will get misshapen). Cover with the lid or with plastic food wrap, and also keep them chilled in the fridge.

A few hours before serving (up to 5 or 6 hours before), fill the eggs, set them on their serving platter, and garnish them. Cover the plate loosely with plastic food wrap and keep them chilled until serving time.

Do Deviled Eggs Keep Well?

Deviled eggs don't freeze well (the whites change texture), but leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in a single layer in a covered container in the fridge - if they last that long!

The assembled eggs can be transported to a picnic or party in a single layer in a flat resealable food container. Line the container with a paper towel to keep the eggs from sliding around, and place it in a cooler or with an ice pack on top of it to keep it cool.

Enjoy!!!

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