Deviled eggs always make a popular appetizer or light lunch entrée, regardless of the season. Simple and beautiful in their compactness, the deviled egg provides the perfect background for experimentation and artistic creativity. They’re also portable. The trick is not to pipe in the filling until you’re ready to serve. After prepping the creamy, eggy filling, place into a ziplock storage bag. Snip a corner off the bag to squeeze the egg mixture into prepared egg halves, or use a pastry bag with a specialized tip. Select a tip, squeeze egg mixture into the tube, and off you go!
The other trick here is to use a blender or food processor to make the filling as creamy as possible.
Creamy Deviled Eggs Recipe
12 large organic eggs
1/2 cup safflower mayonnaise
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T sweet pickle relish
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
About 4 dill pickle slices, slivered, for garnish
How to hard boil eggs
Perfect hard boiled eggs are dependent upon many factors: the age of the egg, the elevation you are cooking at – I live in the Rocky Mountains and water takes a lot longer to boil here than it does at sea level. It’s also a subjective topic. Some people prefer egg yolks to be a bit creamy; others would rather they are solid, even if there is a slight gray discoloration. Given that, here is a basic, reliable method:
Fill a medium pot with cold water about 2/3 from the top. Bring to a rolling boil. Using a slotted spoon, gently lower eggs one at a time into the pot. Reduce heat to bare simmer and cover. Cook, checking occasionally to make sure the water is on a slow simmer, for 12 minutes.
Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place in an ice water bath. Rest for at least 15 minutes. Drain water and refrigerate eggs until ready to proceed.
To prepare creamy deviled eggs
Peel eggs by tapping gently on the rounded end of the egg (there will be an air bubble that helps peel the egg smoothly). Find a large section and peel slowly, separating the thin white membrane from the cooked egg white. The membrane should detach from the white while remaining affixed to the shell.
Slice eggs in half lengthwise and pop out yolks into mixing bowl or food processor bowl, if using. Add remaining ingredients except for garnish. Purée until very smooth. Scrape filling into a ziplock baggie.
Gently rinse egg whites, using your thumb to remove any remaining yolk. Pat dry.
Before serving, pipe filling into egg halves and garnish with dill pickle slivers.
