TL;DR
- Hard boil large eggs;
- Peel the eggs;
- Cut them in half length-wise;
- Scoop out the yolks into a mixing bowl;
- Mix the yolks with your homemade mayonnaise;
- Season with salt, olive oil, chopped chives and a dash of tabasco sauce;
- Fill the egg whites with the yolk mix;
Deviled eggs, or egg boats as my grandmother used to call them, are pretty much boiled eggs on steroids. If you avoid boiled eggs because they’re smelly or just boring, then this recipe will blow your mind.
The Eggs
For this recipe, you want very hard boiled eggs. Fresh eggs, of course. Do yourself a favor and always use fresh, ahem, everything.
I usually place the eggs in a pot with just enough water to cover them, and cook them for 5 minutes after the water starts to boil. In order to save energy or gas, I leave them in the water for another 5 minutes while doing other things. That way I’m sure the yolks will be hard and crumbly.
Peeling eggs can be a challenge. What works best for me is to drain the hot water and replace it with cold (no need for ice bath) so I can handle them better (let’s avoid burns, shall we?). Then I hand roll them against a hard surface to crack as much of the shell as possible. When peeling, make sure to pull on the layer of skin between the shell and the egg white and you’ll be amazed at how easily it all comes off.
Eggs peeled, cut them length-wise. You’ll want to use a thin paring knife. Large knives tend to cause the yolk to stick to them, increasing the chances of breaking the egg white.
The Mixture
You’ll start by carefully scooping out the egg yolks into a mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash them just enough that they get reduced into medium size crumbles.
Add some of your homemade mayonnaise, but not too much so that it becomes too gooey. You want it more on the solid side for now. Gently fold it onto itself so you don’t break the yolk crumbs too much.
Seasoning
The thing about seasoning deviled eggs is that you can do pretty much anything you want. I find that the texture of deviled eggs is a bit too soft, missing some crunch. Chives aren’t crunchy per se, but they do improve the texture and flavor altogether.
Chop the chives and add them to the yolk/mayo mixture. Add some olive oil and a dash (or more) of tabasco sauce for some kick.
If you’re into raw onions, have at it. Just chop them well or they won’t fit in the egg whites.
Finishing Touches
All you have to do now is to fill in the boats with the yolk mixture. You can use a small spoon or a piping bag. You can use a plastic bag (like zip-lock) with a clipped corner to use as a make-shift piping bag.
Presentation is important, as good-looking food kick-starts the digestive juices. And given the amount of eggs and oil involved, you’ll need those juices working overtime.
Consider sprinkling some paprica or cracked black pepper on top for a bit of eye candy. Replacing tabasco sauce with chipotle powder is also a good idea.