Photo by Alicia Cahill

This appetizer is a staple of Southern gatherings and one foodie’s weakness

It’s all Southern manners and civility until the tray of deviled eggs arrives. Then it’s every woman for herself. I should know, I’m the most dangerous kind of person at a party.

I’m the guest that lingers near the deviled eggs. Sure, I mix and mingle, but always within a small radius of the appetizer table. While you turn to greet a friend, I pop the entire bite into my mouth. Then I go back for seconds that you think are my firsts. It isn’t long before the eggs are completely gone, some guests never knowing they made an appearance at all.

Am I remorseful? No. Can I be rehabilitated? Not exactly. When invited to an event, I bring this particular version of deviled eggs. No good Southerner shows up empty-handed, but my strategy is equal parts gracious contribution and pre-emptive apology, not to mention velvety and divinely delicious.

Photo by Alicia Cahill

Deviled Eggs

INGREDIENTS

1 dozen large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled (see tips)

¼ cup butter, softened, but not melted

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

Salt to taste

Ground white pepper to taste

Optional garnish: paprika; fresh dill, parsley or chives chopped; crispy bacon, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Slice eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove yolks.

In a medium sized bowl, mash yolks, stir in butter, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and red pepper. Add salt and white pepper and stir to incorporate. Taste adding more salt and pepper as needed.

Transfer mixture to a Vitamix or food processor and process until smooth.

Spoon or pipe yolk mixture evenly among the egg white halves. Garnish if desired. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Photo by Alicia Cahill

Tips

Follow these steps to achieve hard-boiled eggs with sunny yellow yolks:

Place eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Fill with cold water. Water should cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat pan over high heat just to boiling.

Remove from burner and cover pan. Let eggs stand in hot water for about 12 minutes for large eggs, 9 minutes for medium eggs or 15 minutes for extra large eggs.

Drain water immediately and transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water. Cool completely, then refrigerate or peel and use.

To peel a hard-boiled egg: Gently tap the egg on the countertop until shell is finely cracked all over. Next, roll the egg between your hands to loosen the shell. Start peeling at the large end, holding egg under cold running water to help ease off the shell.