Instructions

MAKES 24 STUFFED EGGS

Peel the eggs and halve them lengthwise. Scoop the egg yolks into a bowl and arrange the whites, hollow side up, on a platter. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, and sugar to the yolks and mash together with the back of a fork until no lumps remain. Using a spoon, scoop the yolk mixture into the whites, mounding it attractively. Alternatively, spoon the yolk mixture into a piping bag fitted with whatever tip you prefer and pipe the filling into the egg whites. Sprinkle the tops with paprika and serve.

VARIATIONS:

PESTO: Mix 3 tablespoons pesto sauce into the yolk mixture.

DILL & PICKLE: Mix 2 tablespoons minced pickle (use whatever kind you like) and 1  1/2 teaspoons minced fresh dill into the yolk mixture.

GINGER & SESAME: Mix 2 tablespoons minced pickled ginger; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted; and 3/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil into the yolk mixture by hand for a filling with some texture, or add the pickled ginger, sesame seeds, and sesame oil to the yolk mixture and process in a food processor until smooth.

THREE HERB: Use only 1 tablespoon mayonnaise. Mix 1/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese and 1/2 teaspoon each minced fresh marjoram, thinly sliced fresh chives, and minced fresh thyme into the yolk mixture.

SAUTÉED SHALLOT & PANCETTA: Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Heat, swirling the pan occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until the butter begins to brown and smells nutty. Add 3 tablespoons minced shallots and sauté for 3 minutes, until barely translucent. Mix the shallots and 2 tablespoons of crumbled cooked pancetta into the yolk mixture by hand for a filling with some texture, or add the shallots and pancetta to the yolk mixture and process in a food processor until smooth.

BUFFALO: Mix 2  1/2 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and 1  1/2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese into the yolk mixture by hand for a filling with some texture, or add the hot sauce and blue cheese to the yolk mixture and process in a food processor until smooth.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO: Mix 3 tablespoons minced dry-packed sun-dried tomato and 2 teaspoons crumbled feta cheese into the yolk mixture.

SRIRACHA & CRACKED PEPPER: Mix 2  1/2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce, 1  1/2 teaspoons minced shallot, and 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper into the yolk mixture.

Mayonnaise

Most people buy mayonnaise and have a strong brand preference, depending on the desired level of tang (delivered by vinegar) or creaminess (from the egg-to-oil ratio). What many of these people don’t realize is that making mayonnaise at home is incredibly easy and fast, plus when you make it yourself, you can customize it to your taste.

MAKES ABOUT 1  1/2 CUPS

Whisk together the eggs, mustard, and lemon juice in a bowl. While whisking constantly, add the oil drop by drop at first until the mixture begins to thicken, and then in a slow, steady stream. Continue whisking until the oil is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and thickened. Whisk in salt to taste.

The mayonnaise will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Reprinted with permission from The Perfect Egg, by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park, copyright © 2015, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. 

Photographs copyright © 2015 by Teri Lyn Fisher.