Divine Deviled Eggs

In my family, deviled eggs are sort of a big deal.

We love them.  Across the board.  Both immediate and extended family.

Rob of course doesn't like them.  More for us, I say!

With this in mind, let me tell you that being the family's Mistress of the Deviled Eggs is kind of a big deal.  One year my cousin Michael told me they were too dry and I moistened them with my tears.  THAT'S how seriously I take my job.

Over the years I have developed what I feel is a really good and fool-proof method for these babies. 

Let me show you.

First thing's first: Your eggs.

I know that many, many people attest to the method of placing the eggs in cold water and bringing the water to a boil.  I tell you it just ain't so!  After years of boiling more eggs than I really needed just because I knew so many of them would be ruined when it came time for peeling, something finally had to give.  I mean, no matter how long I let the eggs cool and no matter how careful I was, no matter how not-new the eggs were, I was tearing one after another apart.  And even when I didn't destroy the eggs, they were left looking pocked and unattractive.  Either way, I was distressed.

Here's the solution: I've found that carefully lowering the eggs into already-boiling water is the way to go! Seriously, I have never had another problem with peeling since I started doing it this way.  So I use a ladle and lower them one by one, and let them boil for a few minutes once all the eggs are underwater.  Then I cover the pot with a lid, remove it from the heat and let them sit for another 15 minutes or so.

Once the eggs are finished cooking, it's time to run them under cold water.  No hurrying here - make sure they're nice and cool before you start peeling! I also rinse and dry them in order to make sure that no sneaky little bits of shell have stuck to the egg - no one likes crunch deviled eggs.

Like I said, I take this seriously.

After you've peeled all the eggs, slice them lengthwise and remove the yolks.  I like to put the yolks in my food processor - no lumps here!

I add 1 to 2 tablespoons of spicy mustard for a dozen eggs.

Then it's all about playing it by ear.  I add mayo in stages and run the processor after each addition, scraping down the bowl before I do.  After that "they're too dry" incident, I make sure to add puh-lenty of mayo until the mixture is nice and creamy.  But as with so many things, this is all a matter of taste.

Also, salt is a good idea, but only if you feel you need it and of course if you're not adding some salty garnish like smoked salmon.

And then, because I don't particularly like the messiness of filling eggs, I would normally fill a freezer bag and snip the corner to "pipe" the yolks.  But now I have my super duper, handy dandy cake decorator!

Notice the shells in the sink.  You'd think I would have removed them prior to snapping this picture.  But I'm all about keeping it real here.  That's my excuse.

And here's how they looked when I was finished piping!

Aren't they pretty?

I think it was the brand of egg...but I had never, ever cut eggs open and actually left groove marks in the white.  Poll: Has this happened to anyone else? Either way I won't be using that brand of egg anymore.

Ideally you'd have various toppings or garnish - even if it's only paprika.  But I had no such things, so the eggs had to speak for themselves.

Good thing they were super tasty!

Enjoy!


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