The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg (& Deviled Eggs)

Deviled eggs have been a hit in my family for YEARS! I didn't love them so much when I was a kid. Well, I don't think I actually tried them until I finally caved in my early twenties. Once I did, I was hooked. As I got older and started entertaining for my friends, I would make deviled eggs - knowing that they would be a crowd pleaser and also a healthy appetizer option. In addition to deviled eggs, I started really enjoying hard boiled eggs as a lunch option or snack. So, as you can imagine, I was hard boiling eggs OFTEN.

After A LOT of trial and error, and a couple of tweaks... I've finally discovered the perfect hard boiled egg technique. It is PERFECT and FAIL PROOF. The shells peel of quickly and easily and the yolks are always brilliant yellow. Ready? Follow it EXACTLY. It's actually QUITE simple.

1. Bring lightly salted water to a rapid boil in a large pot
2. Gently add eggs to pot using a spoon (if you drop them in, they may break)
3. Bring the water back to a boil as quickly as possible (put a lid on it until it starts boiling again) and set your timer for 14 MINUTES for 8-12 eggs and for ONLY 11 MINUTES for 1-3 eggs. 
4. Prepare to move quickly and get A LOT of ICE ready
5. (This step is very important) When the buzzer goes off, take the pot off the burner, put it in your sink and start running cold water all over it and then dump a tray (or so) of ice into the pot as you continue to pour cold water in the pot. Essentially, just try to get that water as icy and cold as possible, as quickly as possible.
This process does two things: 1) It makes the shells easier to remove later 2) It stops the cooking process ensuring YELLOW YOLKS
6. Keep the water cold and icy and leave the eggs in there until they are cool to the touch

Pictures for Guidance...

 

Then, removing the shells will be easy. Remember, crack them on a surface, not the side of a pot.

 

 

Check out that perfect peel!

 

Yellow.

 

Now, I'm going to give you my formerly SECRET deviled egg recipe. Again, I've made these about a million times and this past year, I finally mastered the perfect classic flavor. I'm not bragging. I know this because my *extremely honest* family (and my friends) have raved about them for the last five or six parties. If they weren't great, I'd know. haha

Ok so here it goes (And apologies in advance for not providing EXACT measurements. I typically eyeball it. Definitely TASTE as you add the ingredients... I always do)

- 8-12 Yolks
- 1/3-1/2 Cup of Organic Mayo
- 2 or so Tablespoons of Rice Vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon of Salt (give or take)
- 1/2 - 1 Teaspoon of Dry Mustard
- Dash of Black Pepper

Mix thoroughly and move mixture into a quart ziplock bag, cut one of the corners and squeeze the mixture into each halved egg like a pastry squeezer bag. Sprinkle with paprika and SERVE! Here are a few photos from a couple of recent parties.

I wish you all happy eggs for future days!

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What is your GO TO appetizer??

Have a great week! xo