Ingredients:

  • 6 Large Eggs (ideally 7+ days old)
  • 1 litre (4 cups) Cold Water
  • 1 tbsp White Vinegar (15 ml)
  • Ice (For the necessary ice bath)
  • 60g (4 tbsp) Mayonnaise (Full-fat preferred)
  • 10g (2 tsp) Dijon Mustard
  • 5ml (1 tsp) White Wine Vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
  • 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt (or to taste)
  • 1/8 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper (or to taste)
  • Pinch of Caster Sugar (Optional)
  • Smoked Paprika (for garnish)
  • Fresh Chives, finely snipped (Optional, for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Boil: Place eggs gently into the saucepan and cover with at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) of cold water. Add the white vinegar.
  2. Boil and Rest: Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, cover it tightly with the lid, and let the eggs sit, undisturbed, for 12 minutes.
  3. The Ice Bath: While the eggs rest, prepare a large bowl of ice water. Immediately transfer the hot eggs to the ice bath using a slotted spoon. Chill for 5–10 minutes to stop the cooking process.
  4. Peel and Halve: Gently tap the eggs on a counter surface and peel under cool running water. Rinse thoroughly. Slice the eggs neatly in half lengthwise. Gently scoop the yolks into a medium bowl, keeping the egg white halves intact on a platter.
  5. Process the Yolks: Mash the yolks thoroughly with a fork until they resemble fine crumbs. (For the smoothest filling, push the mashed yolks through a fine-mesh sieve.)
  6. Create the Filling Base: Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar (or lemon juice), salt, pepper, and sugar (if using) to the mashed yolks.
  7. Mix Thoroughly: Using a rubber spatula, stir and fold the mixture vigorously until it is completely smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed for balance.
  8. Fill the Whites: Transfer the yolk mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped). Pipe the filling neatly and evenly back into the hollows of the egg white halves.
  9. Garnish and Chill: Dust each egg with a generous pinch of smoked paprika and garnish with snipped chives, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the filling to firm up and the flavours to meld. Serve chilled.