Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Base
- 6 eggs, large, older eggs preferred
Filling
- 45 g mayonnaise
- 10 g dijon mustard
- 2 ml tabasco sauce
- 1 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Garnish
- 5 g chives, finely chopped
- 1 g paprika, sweet or smoked, for dusting
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place eggs in a saucepan in a single layer and cover with cold water by one inch. Bring to a rolling boil at 100C/212F over medium-high heat. Once boiling, immediately remove from heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and let sit undisturbed for 12 minutes.
While the eggs sit, prepare a bowl of ice water. Transfer the cooked eggs directly into the ice bath to halt the cooking process. Let them cool completely for 10 minutes.
Tap the cooled eggs gently on the counter to crack the shells all over, then peel them. Using a sharp knife, slice each egg in half lengthwise.
Gently squeeze or scoop the yolks out of the whites, placing the yolks into a mixing bowl. Arrange the empty egg white halves on a serving platter.
Thoroughly crush the egg yolks with a fork until they resemble fine crumbs. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Tabasco sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously until the filling is completely smooth and cohesive.
Transfer the yolk mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip, or simply use a spoon. Generously fill each egg white half with the creamy yolk mixture.
Sprinkle the chopped chives evenly over the tops. Finish with a light, decorative dusting of paprika. Chill until ready to serve.
Chef's Notes
- For absolute silky perfection, skip the fork and press the cooked egg yolks through a fine-mesh sieve using the back of a spoon or a silicone spatula. It takes one extra minute but yields a professional, velvety filling.
- Piping the filling using a star tip is the secret to making simple deviled eggs look like they came from a high-end caterer. If you lack a piping tip, snipping the corner of a heavy-duty ziplock bag works beautifully.
- To safely transport deviled eggs to a gathering without a specialty carrier, slice a tiny sliver off the rounded bottom of each egg white half so they sit perfectly flat on the platter.
- If your filling feels slightly too stiff after mixing, add just a drop of water or pickle juice rather than more mayonnaise to thin it out without diluting the sharp, balanced flavor profile.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent a skin from forming on the yolks and keep the whites from drying out.
