Pretty Devilled Eggs
These look hard, but fear not, they are incredibly simple and a very effective addition to your Christmas canape repertoire.
Simply hard boil some eggs and let them cool in cold water (if you don't put them in cold water immediately afterwards the yolk begins to grey). Peel them by gently rolling them under pressure on your worktop - you will find there is a little air pocket on the rounded end of the egg and once this is compromised the egg gives in and you can peel it easily in two or three big sheets. Once peeled you need to soak the eggs in a bowl of beetroot juice (the stuff that pours out the packet of ready cooked beetroot) and maybe some extra cider vinegar if your beetroot is the non-pickled kind. The longer you soak the eggs the more intense the colour becomes. I left mine for about 45 minutes but I hear you can leave them for days.
Once you're happy with the hue, remove them from the liquid and carefully slice vertically. Scoop out the yolk and put in a bowl and once they're all in mix in a tablespoon of creme fraiche, a teaspoon of English mustard, a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkling of paprika and plenty of finely chopped dill. Adjust the quantities for your own tastes.
Pipe the mixture into the eggs using a piping bag if you have one, but a dollop of the mixture topped with a little sprig of dill looks pretty too.
Easy peasy!
