Make Deviled Eggs

Popular all over Europe and the United States, deviled eggs are a classic side dish, enjoyed by many as a party food. The eggs can be topped with your favorite toppings including bacon, salmon and anchovies. If you gently move the eggs around while they are boiling, the yolks will end up cooked in the middle of the white, rather than to one side. If centred, the yolks are easier to remove, and the end result is more symetrical.

Ingredients

 * 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled
 * 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
 * 2/3 oz melted butter (optional)
 * 1 Tbsp crème fraiche (optional)
 * 2 anchovy fillets, cut in half (optional)
 * 1/2 Tbsp crispy bacon bits (optional)
 * 1 Tbsp smoked salmon, chopped (optional)
 * 1 Tbsp chives, chopped (optional)
 * a few tarragon leaves (optional)
 * 1 tsp caviar (optional)
 * salt
 * pepper

Steps

 * 1) Hard boil the eggs and peel them. If you add lots of salt to the water, the eggs will be easy to peel.
 * 2) [[Image:Step3_392.jpg|200px|right]]Slice off both ends of the eggs carefully and then slice in half using a large knife.
 * 3) [[Image:Step4_279.jpg|200px|right]]Use a teaspoon to scoop out the yolks. Gently squeeze the egg as you nudge the yolk out of the egg with the spoon.
 * 4) [[Image:Step5_359.jpg|200px|right]]Place the yolks in the food processer. Take a spoon and add the mayonnaise to the egg yolks. Cover and blend until it becomes smooth.  Remove the lid and add half the melted butter, cover once again  and blend  to combine. Remove the lid, add the remaining butter, and blend until it becomes a smooth velvety paste. You can also mix these with a fork.
 * 5) [[Image:Deviledeggs1_579.jpg|200px|right]]Make a cuff with the piping bag and then spoon the yolk filling inside. Open the cuff and close the bag.
 * 6) [[Image:Deviledeggs2_482.jpg|200px|right]]Pipe the mixture into the centre of each egg.
 * 7) Garnish the eggs. Below are some options, but the possibilities are endless.
 * 8) *Use a teaspoon to heap a small dollop of crème Fraiche onto the eggs, then add a small dollop of caviar on top and sprinkle a few chives over as a finishing touch.
 * 9) *Place chopped salmon on top of the eggs and sprinkle with chives.
 * 10) *Add anchovy fillets and one sprig of tarragon across the top.
 * 11) *Sprinkle bits of crumbled bacon.
 * 12) [[Image:Step10_606.jpg|200px|right]]Place on a serving platter and serve to your guests.

Tips

 * If you don't have a piping bag, you can fill a teaspoon with the egg mixture and spoon it into each egg white opening. It may not be as neat, but with practice it'll be just as pretty as with a piping bag. You can also cut off the corner of a plastic sandwich bag and use that.
 * Those with a penchant for uniformity might try this recipe by slicing the eggs lengthwise and not cutting the top and bottom: the result is more stable, and more uniform.
 * There are many variations of deviled eggs, such as:
 * Try mayonnaise, a little dry mustard or regular mustard, a little lemon juice, and some Tabasco sauce.
 * Another quick garnish is paprika, which can add some color with a flick of the wrist.
 * Around Christmas time, you can quickly make festive deviled eggs by topping half the eggs with paprika and half with chopped parsley. Very colorful!
 * In the southern US, it's traditional to add sweet pickle relish to the filling.
 * Another traditional preparation involves excluding the butter and mixing two teaspoons mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip) with one teaspoon mustard into the yolks, then sprinkling the finished product with paprika. The addition of sweet pickle relish is optional.
 * Another delicious addition to the basic recipe is dill weed and dried lemon peel. Or, you could use these items as the sprinkled garnish.
 * Fresh eggs are harder to peel, which can really mess up your presentation. To get older eggs, you can:
 * Buy your eggs several days in advance
 * Buy your eggs at a place where the inventory doesn't turn over very quickly, like a gas station.
 * If possible, use free-range eggs. The yolks are richer and give a deeper, richer flavor to the egg.
 * If you want your yolk centered perfectly in the egg white, turn your egg carton sideways in the fridge for a day before boiling.

Warnings

 * Egg yolks are high in cholesterol. Although incredibly delicious, do not eat a whole plate of deviled eggs by yourself!
 * When peeling off skin, make sure that the egg is not too hot!

Things You'll Need

 * 1 cutting board
 * 1 knife
 * 1 food processer
 * 1 spoon
 * 1 piping bag (if needed)
 * 2 Tbsp prepared mustard (optional)
 * Dash of Paprika (optional)

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Hard Boil an Egg
 * How to Peel an Egg Quickly
 * How to Make Eggs Benedict
 * How to Put Together a Cheese Plate
 * How to Make a Fresh Fruit Salad

Sources and Citations

 * VideoJug Original source of this article. Shared with permission