The chickens and the eggs

Last week's mail brought this dish for devilled eggs with hen salt-and-pepper shakers, an early birthday gift from a very dear friend from my undergrad days. She knew that I needed just this sort of thing. No--not this sort of thing, this exact thing. Thank you!

We took some of these to a Superbowl bash this evening and people seemed to like them. (The chickens stayed home.)

Devilled eggs with pimentón

Cook yourself some eggs. I do it by putting eggs in a saucepan, covering them with cold water, and bringing it to a boil. When it bubbles vigorously, I kill the heat and leave the pan, covered, for seven minutes. Then I move the eggs immeidately into an ice bath and peel them when they're cool.

Scoop out the yolks and mash with lots of mayonnaise, salt, and pimentón, which Penzey's sells as Spanish smoked paprika. Fill the whites with the yolky stuff. Shake on a little more red stuff for show. Try not to eat them all at once.