Deviled Eggs - So Simple Yet So Good

Deviled Eggs are the staple of every picnic, family reunion, holiday celebration, birthday dinners, and even funerals in our family. They are easy to make, the ingredients are usually always on hand, and everyone loves them. The secret to a great deviled egg begins with the perfect  hard boiled egg. They can get rubbery and turn green if boiled too long or, on the other side of the spectrum, they can be runny and gooey if under cooked. After years of boiling eggs, I have pretty much determined the secret of the perfect egg.
Place clean fresh eggs in a pan of cold water. The water should cover the eggs by at least one inch and the eggs should not be touching. Bring the water to a boil, and then turn the heat down and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. As I have shared before, when I refer to simmering, the water has bubbles slowly rising. On my cooktop, the burner is on the bottom end of low - I have a gas stove. As soon as the eggs are taken off the burner, drain the hot water, and replace with cold. Let the eggs sit in the cold water for about 15 minutes. I have found that this "quick cool" will allow the eggs to be easier to peel.

When preparing the eggs to be deviled, peel the eggs and then wash them to remove any stray pieces of eggshell. Slice the eggs in half and remove the yolks into a small bowl. My ingredients are very simple- Dukes's Mayonnaise, Sweet Salad Cubes, Green Olives, and of course, hard boiled eggs.

I use the same deviled egg plate that I received as a wedding gift 44 years ago. It has the perfect little compartments for all of my condiments. I usually have olives, celery stuffed with pimiento cheese, and bread and butter pickles in the center sections. Today, my celery was as limp as a dishrag. Therefore, I used olives and Wickles pickles, my new favorites, in the center. If you haven't tried Wickles, they are quite spicy with some heat, and yet sweet at the same time. They are quite addicting. Even though they burn my mouth, I just want that taste again and again.
Now we are on to building the deviled eggs. For six eggs, I mash the yolks with a fork and give them a generous shake of salt and pepper. I add 1/4 cup of Dukes Mayonnaise and 1/4 cup of sweet salad cubes. This may sound simple, but everyone always wants to know how I make my eggs, when I take them somewhere. I ususally hear, "They taste so different". I spoon about a good tablespoon full of the yolk mixture into each egg and place half of an olive on the top. That is all there is to it! No piping, or fancy presentation for the Bailey's.

I've purchased several Food Styling books, so maybe, my photos will begin to look a little more appealing. Yeah, they have a long way to go!