Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are delicious, but I always felt there was something lacking in the appearance department in the traditional deviled egg, all that bland white and yellow…  Well, enough of that, it’s springtime in the BeWhatWeLove house, and we’re celebrating with pops of color everywhere, including in our deviled eggs.  Since I’m a huge fan of beets, using natural beet coloring makes this recipe even better.

INGREDIENTS:

Brine

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 small beet, peeled and sliced
• 1 small shallot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Peppercorns

Devil Egg’s Filling

• 6-8  hard-boiled egg yolks
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon grainy or Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Bring water, vinegar, beet, shallot, sugar, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan, then simmer, covered, until beet is tender, about 20 minutes.  Cool completely, uncovered.  Put beet mixture and a few peppercorns in a container with eggs and marinate, chilled,  at least 2 hours.

Remove eggs from beet mixture and pat dry (discard beet mixture). Cut in half lengthwise and remove yolks. Mash yolks with mayonnaise, mustard, parsley. Season with salt and pepper, then divide among egg whites.  Sprinkle with smoked Spanish  paprika.