What’s better than cheap and easy finger food? How about an elegant party nibble that’s cheap, easy and flies off the table as soon as you set it down?
If your idea of deviled eggs is a boring boiled egg white slopped with mashed, hard-cooked egg yolk, mayo, mustard and relish, this elegant deviled egg recipe is going to deliciously change your mind.
Rather than waste your party prep time with the classic deviled egg recipe, transform your hard-cooked eggs into scrumptious, must-eat party snacks that boast impressive, kicked-up flavors.
The secret ingredients that make these elegant deviled eggs quickly disappear from the hors-d’oeuvres table are sherry vinegar, hot red pepper, minced fresh chives and avocado oil.
Sherry vinegar adds a complex nutty, slightly sweet and acidic taste that brightens up the other ingredients. Hot sauce and ground hot red pepper deliver an attention-getting heat that builds on your palate. Chives give the eggs a beautiful contrast of green color and a welcome hint of onion flavor. A drizzle of avocado oil finishes the deviled eggs with a mildly nutty, buttery taste.
The extra effort of piping the dressed up deviled egg filling into the egg whites gives this recipe an upscale presentation compared to simply spooning it in. If you don’t have a piping bag with a decorative tip, put filling in a zip-top plastic bag, snip off one of the bottom corners of the bag and just as easily pipe the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites with a healthy squeeze.
Cook’s note: The best eggs to use for deviled eggs are older eggs because they peel significantly easier than fresh eggs. When it comes to hard-cooking eggs, fresher is not better.
The shells of fresh eggs tend to adhere to the hard-cooked egg white, which makes peeling the eggs near impossible, even under cold running water. You end up with homely, pock-marked egg whites that no one wants to put in their mouths. For deviled egg success, purchase eggs from your grocer seven to 10 days before you plan to hard-cook them.
Elegant deviled eggs
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons white onion, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons real mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced chives, finely minced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Instructions
- Using a large bowl, make an ice bath by filling a tray of ice cubes and fill with water. Set aside.
- Fill a large pot with water. Place 6 eggs carefully in the pot. Cover with lid, then heat over high heat. Once boiling, leave lid on and allow eggs to remain on heated burner for 25 minutes.
- Once eggs have cooked, carefully remove each egg from hot water with a slotted spoon and place eggs in the bowl of ice water.
- Allow eggs to cool for at least 15 minutes before peeling,
- Peel eggs. Note: If difficult to peel, run each egg under cool running water while peeling.
- Slice each egg in half lengthwise.
- Place all yolks in the small bowl. Mash with a fork until the yolks are completely crumbled.
- Add onion, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar and hot sauce, then mix well.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Adjust seasonings by adding remaining vinegar or a little extra mayonnaise.
- Transfer yolk mixture to a piping bag or a sealed zipper-lock bag with one of the corners cut off.
- Using a ribbon design, pipe each egg white half with the filling.
- Drizzle each egg with a small amount of avocado oil.
- Sprinkle with minced chives.
- Add freshly ground pepper.
- Serve immediately.
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