No matter how many times you've made them, I would bet you dread peeling hard-boiled eggs every, single, time. I mean... Am I right?! Even for a southerner who has made more deviled eggs in my time than I can even begin to imagine, I always dread when it's time to peel them.
Luckily, I've had enough experience doing it (my TRUFFLE DEVILED EGGS WITH CANDY BACON are a top seller with my clients) that I've picked up a few must-do tips along the way. Follow these rules on The Perfect Deviled Eggs, and you'll dread making them a little less this Easter.
To make:
Completely submerge in water, place over high heat on the stove, bring to a roaring boil for one minute, take off the heat, cover with lid, and wait 12 minutes.
Transfer to an ice bath to slightly cool.
Place them back into the pot with no water and shake the pot back and forth, cracking the eggs in several places.
Begin peeling.
To peel:
For the easiest to peel eggs: USE OLDER EGGS before boiling them. I cannot emphasize this enough, people. I have made thousands of deviled eggs in my life, and this is the #1 tip I can give for an easy-to-peel egg. Buy the eggs you plan to use a week or two before Easter. Nothing will ruin your holiday like buying eggs to boil the day before you make them. Trust me.
Before beginning to peel each egg, tap the tops and the bottoms of them, then start peeling there - this is where you'll find the air pockets.
Run your fingers along the air pocket once you find it. At this point, the shell should slide right off in one whole piece or a few large pieces.
If the shell gets tricky to peel, dip the egg back into cool water and continue peeling (again, if you use older eggs, this shouldn't happen).
To prep:
For the smoothest smashed yolks, use a fork, and don't add any other ingredients until yolks are well-smashed.
Rinse the egg whites and pat dry once yolks are removed. This makes for a cleaner, prettier deviled egg.
Use a hand-held or stand mixer for an extra-smooth filling. Whip ingredients together until smooth.
Make life easier by boiling the eggs and making the filling the day before, then refrigerate. I like to store my whites in an air-tight plastic container and my filling in a piping bag or plastic bag. On Easter Day, all I have to do is pipe the mixture into the egg - easy peasy!
Dont forget to try my famous Truffle Deviled Eggs with Candy Bacon! And for more traditional eggs, try these: