Tarragon Deviled Eggs

This easy recipe for deviled eggs with tarragon and shallots takes everyone’s favorite Easter appetizer and gives them a lovely herb flavor!

It’s Easter weekend! And here as we get ready to celebrate our first Easter in the multigenerational house, we have been having a spirited conversation about various things to do with Easter celebrations.

The first item under discussion is whether or not children who are grown up and married and living on the other side of the house should still be expecting a fully loaded basket from the Easter Bunny.

This has gotten heated enough that the child in question asked her grandma, who of course said YES.

The other conversation has centered around the menu. We are having our traditional ham, and of course there will be carrots and other veggies and the child who is lobbying for an Easter basket is in charge of dessert.

This same child also requested macaroni and cheese as a side dish, which I nixed in favor of mashed potatoes. Macaroni and cheese is NOT a traditional side dish, I said.

Then I went on the Honey Baked Ham website to order my ham, and there it was in living color. A picture of a lovely sliced platter of ham, nestled up right next to a giant serving bowl of macaroni and cheese.

On to the menu it goes!

One thing there has been zero debate over is whether there will be deviled eggs. There will ALWAYS be deviled eggs – the only decision to be made is what kind of deviled eggs.

Why are they called deviled eggs?

Deviled eggs are hard boiled eggs that have been cut in half, the yolks scooped out and mashed with a combo of mustard and mayo, and then that mixture is smooshed back into the egg white halves.

The “deviled” part comes from the slightly spicy taste that comes from the mustard. It’s the same reason my recipe for deviled ham has that name.

And while I love a traditional deviled egg, I also love fancying them up a bit, which in this case simply means adding some fresh chopped tarragon and shallots to the filling.

Tarragon is a lovely sweet herb that you can usually find in your grocery store in either bunches or small packets, and shallots are smaller, sweeter versions of onions.

I always have a few shallots around – they are perfect for giving the teeniest kick to things.

How to make tarragon deviled eggs

Start by hard boiling yourself up a passel of eggs. Someday I am going to share the Southern husband’s foolproof method for hard boiling eggs, but in the meantime here is my friend Elise’s equally wonderful way.

When your eggs are cool, carefully cut them in half and pop out the yolks. The traditional way is to cut them length-wise, but sometimes I go rogue and cut them in half vertically (as in that picture at the top) so I can put them in my alarmingly large collection of egg cups.

Now mash up the yolks with some mustard, mayo, chopped tarragon and chopped shallot. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper.

Here’s the fun part – reuniting the yolk with the egg white! You can simply spoon it in, or you can go fancy by putting the yolk mixture into a pastry bag (or a zippered plastic bag with the corner snipped off) and piping it into the egg white.

One way or the other, put a little sprig of tarragon on top, and there are your deviled eggs!

Grind a little fresh pepper in there and you are in deviled egg heaven. 

(Which now that I read that sentence back seems like a contradiction in terms, but when it comes to deviled eggs, who cares?)

Happy Easter, my friends!

Kate xo

• OTHER WAYS TO DEVIL YOUR EGGS!
• Bacon Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs. You knew I would go there.
• Guacamole Deviled Eggs. Swap the mayo for some avocado!
• Fancy Deviled Eggs: For when you want your eggs to be EXTRA.

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Updated (and made even more delicious!) from a previously published Framed Cooks post!