Smoky Red Devil Eggs

A better way to hard boil eggs, especially really fresh eggs, is to steam them for exactly 13 minutes. The shells practically fall off by themselves.

A nice, twist on a classic. Instead of tomato paste and garlic, I added some of the sauce from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo and a chopped chipotle chile. Smokey and spicy!

That is by far the best way to hardboil eggs. Two tips: it's best to use eggs that are not real fresh. I buy the eggs a week or so before hardboiling them. Fresh eggs are a real pain to peel, leaving bits of membrane and shell. With eggs that are a week old, the shells will slip off and you'll have a perfect smooth & slippery egg. I also like to give the eggs a very gentle careful stir while they're cooking to help keep the yolks centered.

I suggest adding a few drops of Tabasco for those who want an extra kick!

Made it twice, for two parties, both times with great success. It was great just as written (the first time), but adding a couple of finely diced green onions and sticking a small shard of cooked bacon in each egg (the second time) elevated it to awesome. The smoky flavor plays off really well against that bit of bacon.

JimF below is correct. After a lot of research we discovered the secret is to hot start the eggs rather than cold start, then dip them into an ice bath immediately.
Here's the science:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/the-secrets-to-peeling-hard-boiled-eg...

Family wanted egg salad...this makes great egg salad!

After making this recipe my husband and I realized we do not like smoky deviled eggs. The smoked paprika overpowered the usual flavor that we love in deviled eggs. They weren't bad per se, but all we could really taste was smoked paprika.

We made these at Easter and everyone loved them. My only regret/quibble is not using my Microplane to grate the garlic, because the minced chunks were a little too uneven in the paste of the filling.

I use a variation of this recipe with harissa, smoked paprika, chipotle mayo, Dijon mustard, and a small amount of Greek yogurt. Then, I top it with a whole cooked, deveined and deshelled shrimp, and a sprinkling of chives.

Not much heat to this even with a good bit extra of the hot smoked paprika. I’ll add a little cayenne next time, as well. I added too much vinegar - my bad - to get a creamier texture. Don’t do that.

Made as written and it was truly delicious. Some of the best deviled eggs I've ever had. Used smoked paprika and was so glad I did - it's essential. Will make regularly.

Added a crispy piece of turkey bacon to this and sprinkled with chives. Beautiful and delicious!

Years ago I read a suggestion to steam eggs for easier peeling. I was dubious, but had fresh eggs each week. So I tried my rice cooker, filling the basket. Set for 14 minutes steam works best in my particular appliance (plus time to get up to steam). Put them in an icewater bath when done, cracking the shells to help the separation of the membrane from the white Peeling is vastly easier.

I have to say that the "start with cold-water" method for hard boiled eggs, while it works, does not work as well as this: carefully poke a small hole in the "fat" end of all the eggs (I use a thin steel skewer). Bring a pot of water (enough to cover all the eggs) to a bare simmer. Place the eggs in the simmering pot and bring to a boil, take off the heat and allow to cook for 14-15 minutes. Immediately remove the eggs to cold water to stop the cooking and cool the eggs. Crack and peel.