Ingredients:

  • 6 large Grade A eggs (ideally 7-10 days old)
  • 1/4 cup high-quality mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp sweet or spicy pickle juice
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 pinch smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp fresh chives, finely minced

Instructions:

  1. Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover eggs by one inch and bring to a rolling boil.
  2. Using a slotted spoon, gently lower the cold eggs into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer to prevent the shells from cracking and cook for exactly 12 minutes.
  3. While eggs cook, prepare a large bowl with cold water and plenty of ice cubes.
  4. Immediately transfer the cooked eggs to the ice bath and let sit for 10 minutes to stop the cooking process and shock the membrane for easy peeling.
  5. Gently crack the eggshells all over and peel under cold running water. Pat the whites dry with a paper towel. Wait until they are fully cool to ensure the whites are firm.
  6. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and pass them through a fine mesh sieve into a mixing bowl until they look like fine sand.
  7. Whisk the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and pickle juice into the sieved yolks until the mixture is light and creamy.
  8. Season with fine sea salt and black pepper to taste.
  9. Transfer the yolk mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe the filling into the centers of the egg whites.
  10. Garnish with a light dusting of smoked paprika and minced fresh chives before serving.