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Save This PageThere was a time when deviled eggs lived up to their name.
Despite the many impostors that parade about under the name today, deviled eggs once were a simple mash of egg yolk and a fiery ingredient, such as cayenne pepper or Dijon mustard, dolloped into a boiled egg white.
"Originally, it was supposed to mean something spicy," said Debbie Moose, the author of "Deviled Eggs: 50 Recipes from Simple to Sassy." "But now it's just a generic term for a stuffed egg."
If you find yourself hankering for a great deviled egg, a real deviled egg, here's what you need to know.
The eggs: Farm-fresh eggs are fine for an omelet, but give them a pass for hard-boiling. Fresh eggs have strong membranes between the shell and the white. This makes it difficult to remove the shell without damaging the white.
Eggs from the grocer should be fine, but when in doubt, age them a week.
While older eggs make peeling easier, they will hinder your chances of perfectly centered yolks, an essential element of an attractive deviled egg. The older an egg, the less likely its yolk is to be centered.
Put a rubber band or tape around the egg carton to keep it closed, then set the carton on its side in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The yolks will drift back to the center.
The cooking: A popular method is to start with cool water. Plunging an egg into boiling water can cause it to crack.
The American Egg Board takes a simple approach. They suggest bringing the water and eggs to a boil, then covering and removing the pan from the heat, allowing the eggs to cook via residual heat for 15 minutes.
The boil-and-walk-away method is simple and reliable, producing firm, yet moist hard-boiled eggs.
Cooling, peeling: If not cooled correctly, yolks can develop an unsightly and slightly bitter gray color. To avoid this, plunge the just-cooked eggs into a bowl of ice water. The rapid temperature change also weakens the shell, making peeling easier.
No one wants pockmarked whites, so the peeling method is key. Start by cracking the shell by gently rolling and pressing the cooled eggs over the counter. You also can lightly tap the shell with the back of a spoon.
To peel, Moose suggests starting at the larger end of the egg, which should have an air pocket under the shell. If the shell still sticks, hold it under cold running water while peeling.
The yolk should come out easily once the egg is halved, but if not, use a small spoon to gently scoop it.
The filling: The trick with the filling is to ensure that the combination is thick enough to hold its shape, moist enough not to taste chalky and smooth enough not to resemble egg salad.
Tradition calls for a simple blend of mayonnaise and a bit of heat. The key, according to Cook's Illustrated magazine, is to find a balance free of egg overtones. Our testing found that about 2 2/3 tablespoons of mayonnaise per whole egg worked best.
For the mayonnaise, go with the real thing. Making your own is wonderful, but jarred is fine. But be sure to use real mayonnaise. Salad dressing spreads tend to be too sweet.
For the "deviling," a blend of cayenne pepper and Dijon mustard worked best. A splash of lemon juice heightened everything.
Classic Deviled Eggs
Place eggs in large saucepan, then add enough cold water to cover eggs by at least 1 inch. Set over high heat until water comes to a rolling boil.
Immediately remove pan from heat, cover and let sit 15 minutes.
While eggs rest, fill large bowl with cold water and ice.
When eggs are ready, use slotted spoon to carefully transfer eggs to ice water; let stand 5 minutes.
One at a time, gently roll eggs across table, applying light pressure to evenly crack shells. Alternatively, eggs can be lightly tapped with underside of a spoon.
Starting at larger end, peel each egg. If shell sticks, hold egg under cold running water while peeling. Wipe away any remaining shell using a wet paper towel, or run them under cool water.
Dip paring knife with sharp, thin blade in cool water. Cut one egg in half lengthwise. Wipe knife clean, then dip blade in water and again cut next egg. Repeat this procedure with remaining eggs.
Carefully remove yolks from each egg half and place them in a wire mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. As needed, use a wet paper towel to wipe egg whites clean OR gently rinsed under cool water. Set aside egg whites.
Using underside of spoon, press yolks through strainer. Add mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne and lemon juice to yolks and mix until smooth and thick. Season with salt, pepper and additional cayenne, if desired.
Use rubber spatula to transfer the mixture to pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch star-shaped tip. Refrigerate bag for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until chilled.
When ready to serve, arrange egg whites on a platter. If using a flat platter, rounded bottom of each white can be trimmed flat with paring knife to help eggs sit flat.
Pipe yolk mixture into each egg white, mounding it about ½ inch above top of egg. Sprinkle lightly with paprika.
