Stuffed “Deviled” Eggs with Caviar

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs, at least a week old (see note below)
• 2 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise (or better yet, make your own here)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Salt to taste

• 2 ounces black American Caviar (or any other you may like)

Directions

1. Place the eggs in a saucepan just large enough to hold them all in one layer
2. Add water to cover by 1 1/2 inches. Add 1 tablespoon salt
3. Partially cover the pan and bring to a full rolling boil
4. Cover, reduce heat to low and leave on heat for 30 seconds
5. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes
6. Pour off hot water and rinse eggs under cold running water for 5 minutes

Peel under cold running water

1. Cut peeled eggs in half lengthwise and put yolks in a mixing bowl
2. Cover and chill yolks and whites separately for about an hour
3. In a large bowl, mash the yolks with a fork
4. Mash in the mayonnaise and sour cream

Add lemon juice and salt; stir until well blended

1. Fill the egg white halves with the yolk mixture. I like to put the mixture into a piping bag to get a neater appearance
2. Cover and refrigerate

Serve well chilled

1. When ready to serve, spoon a bit of cold caviar on each stuffed-egg half

Notes

Deviled eggs may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.

To help center the yolks in the eggs, the night before the eggs are to be cooked (approximately 12 hours), store your eggs on their sides in the refrigerator. Seal the egg carton with a piece of tape and turn on its side to center the yolks.

The fresher the eggs, the harder they are to peel. I like to let my eggs age for at least teo or three weeks before boiling.

If you have a steamer, you can steam your eggs for about 15 minutes instead of boiling. I find this, in addition to letting my eggs sit at room temperature for a couple hours before cooking, tends to keep them from cracking.