First step: Plan ahead. Make sure the eggs you’re going to boil aren’t particularly fresh – the fresher the egg, the more difficult it is to peel after it’s boiled. And how do you identify the less-fresh eggs you want? Look at the date on the side of the carton; if you’re buying eggs for devilin
g, go for the carton with the closest sell-by date.
Second step: Take your carton of eggs, and prop it up on its side in the fridge for at least 12 hours (preferably longer) before starting your deviled eggs project. You’ll want to put a rubber band around the closed carton.
Third step: Bring eggs to room temperature before you’re ready to cook them; cooking times are based on room-temperature eggs, not cold ones. If you forgot to take the eggs out of the fridge, place them in a bowl of hot tap water for 10 minutes, to take their chill off.
OK, NOW we’re ready. Let’s boil some eggs. Place the eggs in a single layer in your chosen pot, one with a tight-fitting cover. Add water to the pan until the eggs are covered by about 1″. Bring the eggs to a rolling boil. Not a simmer, not a hard simmer, but a real, full-out boil.
IMMEDIATELY remove the pan from the heat, and slap on its cover. See, you’re not really HARD-boiling the eggs; they’re going to SLOWLY cook in hot water. Start your timer: 12 minutes for medium eggs; 17 minutes for large; 19 minutes for extra-large, and 20 minutes for jumbo.
Why is the timing so important here? I mean, hard-boiled is hard-boiled, right? Not to deviled egg aficionados. Over-cooking eggs results in rubbery whites; and adds the dreaded “green sheen” to their yolks. For tender whites and bright yellow (not greenish) yolks, cook for the recommended amount of time. When the timer goes off, drain the eggs and place them in a bowl of ice water to cool. Once they’re cool, peel and make deviled eggs; or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
When you’re ready to peel the eggs, tap the flat end on a hard surface to crack it; then start peeling. Peeling under cold running water makes the task easier. OK, so why did you prop your egg carton on its side for 24 hours? To center the yolks in the whites. Top egg, not propped; bottom egg, propped. “Oh, big deal,” you say? Hey, if you’re going for the prettiest plate at the potluck, presentation matters! See these? No green. Lesson learned.
These amounts are for 6 boiled eggs, which will yield a dozen deviled egg halves.
Add the following to the cooked yolks:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 teaspoons prepared mustard; or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt 2 to 4 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, pressed dry;
optional 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, optional, for enhanced flavor
Stir gently to combine.
Pack the yolks back into the whites; a teaspoon cookie scoop is a handy tool for this task.
If you’re feeling fancy, you can pipe the yolks using a pastry bag and tip; personally, I’ve never felt that Martha Stewart-ish…
The traditional garnish is a light sprinkle of paprika atop the yolks; this gives the deviled eggs some color, but is completely optional, of course.
Now, how about some simple variations?
•Curried deviled eggs: Substitute 1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry powder for the mustard; and 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped chutney for the pickle relish. Omit the Worcestershire sauce.
•Scallion deviled eggs: Substitute 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped scallion, both white and green parts, for the pickle relish. Add 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, if desired.
•Savory deviled eggs: Substitute tartar sauce for the mayonnaise and omit the pickle relish, for a slightly less sweet/more tangy treat.
Keep these simple tips in mind as you embark on (or continue) your deviled egg journey. With all those boiled eggs you end up with around Easter time, it’s good to have a destination beyond egg salad!
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