If there was one appetizer that just had to see its way to the picnic table in the South, I would say it would be deviled eggs. The trick to these is getting the eggs just right so they peel easily and don’t have any gray/green discoloration in the middle. A quick Internet search will reveal about three dozen methods for getting them just right. If you’re having trouble with the eggs, try another method. Make a small batch to start. You don’t want to boil a dozen eggs and have them come out hard to peel. Below is the method that seems to work for us.
1 dozen large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
½ cup (125 mL) Paleo Mayonnaise ( recipe here)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) dill pickles, finely chopped
2 teaspoons (10 ml) prepared mustard
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
~ paprika, to garnish
- Cut eggs in half (lengthwise).
- Empty out yellow yolks into medium bowl.
- Mash with spoon and add mayonnaise, mustard, chopped pickles, salt, and pepper. Mix/mash all these ingredients well and spoon into a ziplock bag or icing bag.
- Assemble egg halves on your serving platter and pipe the filling into each egg. Garnish with paprika and enjoy.
How we hard-boil eggs
- Place eggs in sauce pan large enough to hold them in a single layer.
- Add cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch (2 cm).
- Bring water to boil on high heat and immediately remove from heat and cover.
- Let eggs stand in hot water for 15 minutes (12 for medium, 18 for extra-large).
- Cool eggs completely under running water or an ice bath and refrigerate for later.
Variation—Chop up some fresh dill and add it into the mixture.
Plan Ahead—Hard-boil the eggs a day or two before just in case.
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Devilish eggs are the picnic-table classic with a paleo twist - creamy yolks mashed with Paleo Mayonnaise, mustard, and finely chopped dill pickles. The trick is cooking the eggs so they peel cleanly and never develop a gray-green ring. Pipe the filling in, dust with paprika, and the platter empties itself.
Pro Tips
- Hard-boil the eggs a day or two ahead; cold, rested eggs peel far more easily than fresh ones.
- Use the stand-in-hot-water method - boil, cover, kill the heat, and let them sit 15 minutes - which keeps the yolks free of the green ring.
- Chop the dill pickles very fine so the filling pipes smoothly instead of jamming at the tip of the bag.
- A zip-top bag with a snipped corner works as a piping bag; the filling should hold a firm swirl.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make devilish eggs ahead?
Boil the eggs up to 2 days ahead and fill them the day of. Fully assembled, they hold 24 hours covered in the fridge.
Why are my yolks dry and chalky?
They were over-boiled. Pull the pot off the heat the moment the water boils and keep to the 15-minute standing time.
What variation do you suggest?
Fresh chopped dill folded into the filling - the recipe's own variation - brightens the pickle tang nicely.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Cut eggs in half (lengthwise).
- Place eggs in sauce pan large enough to hold them in a single layer.
- Add cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch (2 cm).
- Bring water to boil on high heat and immediately remove from heat and cover.
- Let eggs stand in hot water for 15 minutes (12 for medium, 18 for extra-large).
- Cool eggs completely under running water or an ice bath and refrigerate for later.
