As I’ve mentioned before, my husband doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth. In fact, the one food weakness he has is deviled eggs. Not just any deviled eggs. These.
I love my America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook. Something about the detail and testing that encompasses each recipe appeals to my logical nature. I don’t just want a recipe to be successful, I need to understand WHY it is so.
Start with some hard-boiled eggs. Or, if you prefer, you can bake them like Alton Brown does. He also explains why recipes work. Hmmm. I’m sensing a pattern in my recipe source preferences. Your eggs should be perfectly done. As in, no grey around the yolk. America’s Test Kitchen will get you a dozen deviled eggs per batch. You can cook up several dozen hard-boiled eggs at a time with Alton’s baked recipe. Regardless, they’ll both turn out just like this.
Peel, slice in half and remove the yolks to a bowl. Set your perfect whites on a platter. America’s Test Kitchen’s recipe has a couple extra whites built-in. Just in case any rip during the peeling/slicing process. I’ve never really experienced broken whites because their cooking method for boiled eggs is so perfect. I find there’s always enough filling to pack into the full number of undamaged whites.
Then, with a fork, mash up the yolks into the smallest grains you can muster. This step will produce creamy, fully incorporated deviled eggs without any lumpy bits of yolk. Just look at that gorgeous color. Not a hint of grey anywhere.
Now we’re going to add some creamy deliciousness with mayonnaise, cider vinegar, mustard and Worcestershire. Plus a little salt and pepper.
Mix it all together well and pipe it into your whites. I use a star tip to make it extra fancy. However, you can use a ziplock bag with the edge snipped off, or even a spoon to scoop the filling into your eggs.
My husband “needs” paprika sprinkled on his deviled eggs. I don’t see the point. He feels they are “naked” without little specks of red dotting the top of the piped filling. Something about childhood memories. Blah, blah, blah. Sprinkle if you must. Try them for me without? I like the flavor of egg in my deviled eggs, and think paprika just overpowers it. The choice is yours. But you should choose naked. I’ve heard eggs are nudists at heart.
If you are looking for more great Easter foods like Hot Cross Buns or Lemon Monkey Bread, check out my post Easter Foods That Are Easier Than You’d Expect. Or for family activities this week, head over to Dissonant Symphony for Easter Fun for Everyone including Resurrection Rolls and Fingerprint Eggs!
Happy Easter everyone!
Print Recipe for America’s Test Kitchen Deviled Eggs
America’s Test Kitchen Deviled Eggs
7 large eggs (cold)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon whole-grain (I use dijon) mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
1. Place eggs in medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill medium bowl with ice water. Transfer eggs to ice water with slotted spoon to stop cooking; let sit until chilled, about 5 minutes.
2. Peel eggs and slice each in half lengthwise with paring knife. Transfer yolks to small bowl. Arrange whites on serving platter, discarding 2 worst-looking halves. Mash yolks with fork until no large lumps remain. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix with rubber spatula, mashing mixture against side of bowl until smooth. (Egg whites and yolk filling can be refrigerated, separately, for up to 2 days.)
3. Fit pastry bag with large open-star tip. Fill bag with yolk mixture, twisting top of pastry bag to help push mixture toward tip of bag. Pipe yolk mixture into egg white halves, mounding filling about 1/2 inch above flat surface of whites. Serve at room temperature.
