Deviled eggs are the classic Southern party snack. They are a requisite for events ranging from cocktail parties to picnic potlucks … and, of course, Easter.
Deviled eggs are simple to prepare. The basic recipe calls for egg yolks mixed with pantry staples such as mayonnaise and mustard to make them creamy.
The only possible issue comes with boiling the eggs. It can be easy to overcook or undercook them if you are not careful.
If you follow this method for how to cook hard-boiled eggs, you'll cook them perfectly every time.
First, place the eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with an inch of cold water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove the pan from the heat, cover and let the eggs sit for 12 minutes. Then place the eggs in a colander to drain and run cold water over them until cool.
There are three tricks to making peeling the eggs easier. First, buy your eggs about a week in advance of when you’d like to prepare them. Fresh eggs are harder to peel than older ones. Also, adding a little salt to the cooking water as well as peeling the eggs under cold water both help make the process easier.
What makes a good deviled egg is the creamy filling. In addition to mixing the egg yolk with mayonnaise, I like to use Dijon mustard along with a dash of both vinegar and hot sauce for a boost of flavor.
For variations, consider mixing in ingredients like smoked salmon, crispy bacon, sweet pickle relish, fresh herbs, chopped olives or even salsa for a devilishly delicious treat.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Happy Easter!
Deviled Eggs
- 6 large eggs
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- Dash of hot sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Paprika, for garnish
Place the eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 1-inch. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 12 minutes. Place eggs in a colander to drain and run cold water over them until cool.
Peel the eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the yolks, keeping the whites intact, and place the yolks in a medium bowl. Reserve the whites.
Using a fork, mash up the egg yolks. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and hot sauce and stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon or pipe the egg yolk mixture into the whites. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, sprinkle with paprika.
Makes 12 deviled eggs.
Reprinted with permission from The Southern Pantry Cookbook by Jennifer Chandler.
