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Deviled eggs, the classic Southern party snack

Justin Fox Burks

They are a requisite for a myriad of events ranging from cocktail parties to summer picnic potlucks … and, of course, Easter!

Deviled eggs are very simple to prepare.  The basic recipe is egg yolks mixed with pantry staples like mayonnaise and mustard to make them creamy.

The only possible issue comes to boiling the eggs.  It can be easy to over or under cook them if you are not careful.

If you follow this method for how to cook hard-boiled eggs, you will be cooking them perfectly every time.

First, place the eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 1-inch. 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 peeling process easier.

What makes a good deviled egg is the creamy filling.  The basic recipe is to mix the egg yolk with mayonnaise and yellow mustard. I like to use Dijon mustard and a dash of both vinegar and hot sauce for a boost of flavor.

There are many wonderful variations you can make to a classic deviled egg recipe.

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.

Printed with permission from The Southern Pantry Cookbook by Jennifer Chandler.

Jennifer Chandler graduated at the top of her class from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She is a full-time mom to two daughters in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a freelance food writer, restaurant consultant, and author of four cookbooks The Southern Pantry Cookbook, Simply Salads, Simply Suppers, and Simply Grilling.