How to Make Picnic Eggs That Will Become Your Signature Summer Dish

1. Place the eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan. Add enough cold water to come 1 inch above eggs. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. Reduce heat so water is just below simmering, and then cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

2. Remove them from the pan, place them in a colander, and run cold water over them until they're cool enough to handle. To peel, gently tap each egg on the counter. Roll the egg between the palms of your hands. Peel off eggshell. Cover and refrigerate eggs until thoroughly chilled, about 1 hour.

Egg Know-How

• Deviled eggs are everything you want in a hot-weather food: cool, easy, and the right size to sustain you between lunch and dinner.
• Follow our recipe and you'll learn a couple of things. The first is a little food science: Too much heat causes a chemical reaction that makes yolks turn gray-green. If you follow our boiling method, your eggs won't overcook.
• The second lesson is to trust your taste buds. You know what your family loves, so use the kind of mustard they prefer and adjust the balance of mustards, salt, and pepper to suit them.