Diary of a Chef · Just Chefn Around

Classic Deviled Eggs

40 minutes + chill · 12 halves

By Diary of a Chef

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• smoked paprika, for dusting
• 1 tbsp chives, cut into short batons

Instructions

1. 1Steam the eggs

   Bring 1 inch of water to a boil, eggs into the steamer basket, lid on. 13 minutes exactly. Straight into the ice bath for 15 minutes — fully cold before you peel.

2. 2Peel and split

   Tap each egg all over, start peeling at the fat end where the air pocket lives, and work under a thin stream of water if the shell fights you. Halve lengthwise with a clean knife, wiping the blade between cuts.

3. 3Make the filling

   Press the yolks through the sieve into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup mayo, 1 tsp Dijon, 1 tsp vinegar, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir until completely smooth — it should hold a soft peak off the spatula. Taste; it wants a touch more sharpness than seems polite.

4. 4Pipe and hold (make-ahead)

   Filling into the bag, snip the corner, pipe generous swirls into the whites. Cover loosely and refrigerate — they hold beautifully up to a day. This all happens before your cook session.

5. 5Garnish and serve

   Just before serving: a dusting of smoked paprika and a few chive batons on each half. Garnish day-of only — paprika bleeds into the filling overnight.