Let’s talk Balsamic Deviled Eggs and deviled eggs in general. They’re an appetizer table cliché but one that is almost universally liked. You’ll end up making them for the holidays so what you want is something easy to peel and prepare, and this is it. The five ingredients are the eggs, the mayonnaise, flavored balsamic vinegar, some grated onion, and your choice of an herb that can be fresh or dried.

The grated onion is something I came up with years ago because I could never get the onion diced small enough to prevent an onion bomb from detonating in my mouth and gassing out my fellow guests. Grated onion (or shallot) is the answer. It gives you subtle flavor while keeping the smooth texture of the filling.

Easy to Peel Boiled Eggs

This is a trick I wish I’d known in college when I lived on these guys, but at least I know it now.

The trick is to fill a pan with a couple of inches of water, pour in a tablespoon or so of vinegar, put in a vegetable steamer, add eggs, and cover. Bring to a rolling boil for a couple of minutes then cut the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Plunge into cold water for a few then crack and peel. The peels should come off easily. This is the perfect method for people who get easily distracted (like me). Anybody can stand around for two minutes to wait for the water to boil.

One of the best things about this method is that the post boiling steam bath renders the whites tender instead of rubbery.

The Filling

Mash the eggs with fork or fingers (hands are an underrated kitchen tool and one that comes factory equipped), add mayo gradually till you achieve your own preferred degree of smoothness then grate a small amount of onion onto a cutting board. Onions are watery so squeeze a little of that out then stir into the yolk mixture, add seasoning, vinegar, and you are done!

Additions & Garnish

Lots of ideas here:

• Chopped chives
• Capers
• Olives
• Paprika
• Pimento
• Pickles
• Chilies
• Roasted Garlic (very mellow when cooked low and slow)
• Caviar
• Bacon