Basic Deviled Eggs

Tim and I are off this morning on a road trip up the coast to visit northern California.  While we're gone, though, I wanted to share this recipe.  Have a great end of the week and weekend!

It's surprising how hard it is to find a recipe for a plain old deviled egg!  When Tim and I decided to bring deviled eggs to a friend's 4th of July BBQ and looked up recipes online, we found lots with all sorts of interesting variations, but none that we just the basic deviled egg we grew up with.  For the 4th of July, I wanted to make the classic (in particular, nothing to mess up the smooth texture of the yolk like relish or minced onions).  I eventually found what I was looking for, and the eggs turned out perfectly -- and were all gobbled up in no time!

These deviled eggs start with a perfect hard boiled egg - no green around the yolk, which is still slightly soft and perfectly mash-able.  Mayo, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice are whisked in to create the perfect tangy, fluffy deviled egg filling - just like what I remember having as a kid!  The one nod to modern food trends we did go with was using smoked paprika on half the eggs - I really enjoyed the smoky flavor it added, though the ones with regular paprika were quite tasty as well.

Basic Deviled Eggs (adapted from Orangette and Simply Recipes)
Makes 2 dozen

1 dozen large eggs
6 T mayonnaise
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
Smoked paprika (pimentón) or regular paprika

1. Set the eggs in a pot large enough to allow them to lay in one layer on the bottom.  Cover with cold water by a few inches.
2. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer for one minute.  Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit undisturbed for twelve minutes.
3. Drain the eggs in a strainer, and then run under cold water or place in an ice bath until cooled.
4. Peel the eggs, slice each one in half, and scoop out the yolks and place in a separate bowl.
5. Mash the yolks with a fork.  Add the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and salt to the yolks. Whisk everything together until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
6. Scoop the yolk mixture back into the egg whites, dividing it evenly among the eggs.
7. Sprinkle the deviled eggs with smoked paprika (or regular paprika if you prefer).

I'm sending this post off to These Chicks Cooked!