Deviled eggs know no single season or demographic. They are blissfully democratic appetizers.
In the same category as pigs in a blanket: everyone is happy to see them, sophisticated people shed their cool. You can’t be annoyed when there are deviled eggs around; it would be like being irritated in the presence of a puppy or a rainbow.
I have added all sorts of extra ingredients to deviled eggs over the years. Cumin, goat cheese, avocado, za’atar, lemon, capers. I have topped them with all kinds of extras: minced jalapenos, crumbled cooked bacon (delicious), sprigs of fresh herbs, sesame seeds and so on.
But in the end, we all come back to the basic deviled egg. It’s like how you might admire someone you love all done up in a fancy outfit, but then remember you really like them best in a T-shirt and broken-in jeans.
In other news, I have finally learned the best way to peel egg shells easily, and also to get a perfectly cooked yolk, without that unattractive green ring. If that’s not a kitchen game changer, I don’t know what is.
CLASSIC DEVILED EGGS
Makes 24 deviled egg halves
Serves 12
40 minutes start to finish
1 dozen large eggs
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
A few dashes of hot sauce to taste, such as Tabasco or Sriracha
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Paprika or minced chives for sprinkling
Nutrition information per serving: 121 calories; 89 calories from fat; 10 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 189 mg cholesterol; 201 mg sodium; 1 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 6 g protein.
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