Deviled Eggs

When I was a kid we had deviled eggs once a year - for Easter lunch, after the egg hunt. My brother and I colored an extravagant four dozen eggs every year, and we'd gorge on egg salad, hard boiled eggs, and deviled eggs, the whites technicolor from the dye that leached through the shells.  After a few days of this, we'd be so sick of hard cooked eggs that we had no appetite for them until the next spring.

Because I always thought of deviled eggs as a special holiday food, it wasn't until recently that I realized how easy they are to prepare. Thirty minutes and you have an appetizer or light main course, and there's nothing tastier. They're also the perfect party finger food - cheap, filling, and festive.

There are countless ways to make deviled eggs. This recipe is basic and can be used as a foundation for adding other ingredients. I personally like to keep the filling creamy, smooth, and simple, and add different flavorings as garnish. Paprika is classic, and my favorites toppings are chopped herbs like tarragon, dill, chives, and green onions, capers, sliced pickles, and chopped oil-cured olives or tapenade.

For 4 whole eggs, making 8 deviled egg halves (enough to serve 4 people as an appetizer and 2 as a light lunch), you will need:

• 8 eggs (This recipe is written for extra large or jumbo eggs. If you are using smaller eggs, you will need to reduce the quantities of mayonnaise and mustard. Older eggs, ones that have been in the fridge for a week or so, are actually better for hard-cooking. Very fresh eggs will be hard to peel.)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 dash Tabasco Sauce or Sriracha hot sauce (1/8 teaspoon or less. A small amount of hot sauce will not make the eggs spicy, but will round out the flavor and add zest.)
• Smoked or sweet paprika, chopped herbs, and other garnishes

Directions:

Place a single layer of eggs in a large sauce pan with a lid. Fill with cool water and cover eggs by one inch. Over medium high heat, bring to just boiling - as soon as you see large bubbles, remove from heat, cover, and let sit 12 minutes for large eggs and 14-15 minutes for extra-large and jumbo eggs. (Boiling at a high heat will produce rubbery whites and overcooking will give you greenish yolks.) Immediately drain and soak in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking. (If you plan to simply run the cooked eggs under cool tap water, reduce the cooking time by 1 minute.) Refrigerate until ready to use.

Peel the eggs. If you have problems removing the shells, try holding them under cold running water as you peel them. Slice in half lengthwise, gently pop the yolks into a mixing bowl, and arrange the whites on a serving platter. Using a fork, break apart the yolks until they are finely crumbled,  the texture of course bread crumbs. Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, and hot sauce with the fork until smooth. There's no need for salt - the condiments add plenty. Some people then pass the filling through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. While this makes for a velvety texture, I find this isn't necessary if you take the time to break apart the yolks before you mix in the other ingredients. 

Using a teaspoon, fill each egg white with the yolk mixture. If you prefer a fancier presentation, follow the same filling technique as for Peaches with Ricotta and Amaretto Cream, using a plastic sandwich bag and a large, star-shaped pastry tip. You can also forgo the pastry tip and just squeeze the filling through a half-inch hole in the corner of a sandwich bag, which will give you a nice smooth swirl.

Garnish with paprika, sprinkled lightly from your fingers. You can choose to place the paprika all over, or just on the yolk, to allow the whites to frame the bright red and yellow colors. Add your chopped herbs and other garnishes, and serve chilled.