Deviled Eggs

MAKING DEVILED EGGS IS TEDIOUS. When we do them at the restaurant, moans, groans, and sighs accompany the hunched-over work of peeling, carefully scooping, and finally stuffing the little cups. Still, deviled eggs have been and continue to be among the most admired of all the South’s hors d’oeuvres.

Like a layer cake, a deviled egg is a gift, an offering of affection that reflects the tastes of its maker. Some shine psychedelic yellow with French’s mustard, and many are chunky and sweet from pickle relish; my favorites are sprinkled red with paprika. Others (the sad ones, in my opinion) are pale from a blinding but understandable obsession with mayonnaise. My mom’s version, which I happen to favor, is tangy with more vinegar than usual. As for mayo, she uses Miracle Whip. I like Duke’s.

Use this recipe as a blank canvas. Add flair, like pickles of any kind, blue cheese, herbs, bacon, or all of that at once if that’s what you want. I don’t, but I’m a purist.

INGREDIENTS

8 large eggs

3 tablespoons softened butter

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

5 turns of the pepper mill or scant ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the eggs as instructed here and cool them under running water. Peel the eggs carefully. Have someone who gives a darn do this. Otherwise your gifts will look like someone hacked away at them with his or her fingernails.

Slice the peeled eggs in half down the middle. You can do this one of two ways—lengthwise (most common) or through the equator. Either way, depending on the serving vessel, you may need to slice a tiny piece of white off the bottom to create a flat place for the eggs to rest.

Carefully scoop the yolks into a bowl. I like to use a small spoon to help this along. Once you’ve scooped your yolks out, select the 12 prettiest whites. You won’t need the other 4 halves, so discard them or eat them for some flavorless protein.

Stir the remaining ingredients (except for the paprika) together with the yolks and pass it all through a fine-mesh sieve. I think this mildly tedious step makes the filling slightly more fluffy than just blending everything in the food processor or mashing it with a fork, but those methods work too. In the end you should have a homogenous, smooth yellow filling.

Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a star tip; a Ziploc bag with the corner cut off will also work. Of course, you could forgo the tip and the bag altogether and use a spoon. Just before you’re ready to serve the eggs, pipe the filling into the whites. There should be just enough to overfill each egg.

Sprinkle with paprika and serve at room temperature.