Caviar Devilled Eggs

Devilled eggs topped with caviar are one of the most reliably impressive canapés you can make. They look spectacular, take under 20 minutes, can be prepared largely in advance, and the combination of rich, mustardy egg yolk with briny caviar is genuinely one of the best flavour pairings in food. Make these for a dinner party and they will be gone before anyone sits down. For more on choosing the right caviar, see our complete caviar guide.

Serves: 6–8 as canapés | Time: 18 minutes | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

6 large eggs
20g Royal Baerii or Oscietra caviar
3 tbsp good mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
Sea salt and white pepper
Chives and optional chervil to finish

Method

Place eggs in cold water, bring to the boil, cook exactly 10 minutes. Transfer immediately to a bowl of iced water for 5 full minutes. Peel carefully under cold running water.
Halve eggs lengthways with a sharp, wet knife. Remove yolks cleanly and place in a bowl. Set white halves on your serving plate or board.
Mash yolks thoroughly with a fork, then combine with mayonnaise, mustard and vinegar until completely smooth — no lumps. Season with salt and white pepper. Taste and adjust.
Transfer filling to a piping bag with a star nozzle, or use a spoon. Fill each egg white generously and neatly.
Using a mother-of-pearl spoon, place a small, precise amount of caviar on top of each filled egg. Three to five pearls per egg half is sufficient — you want the caviar to be tasted distinctly rather than to overwhelm the egg filling.
Finish with a small piece of chive or chervil. Serve within 30 minutes of assembling.

Notes

The eggs can be boiled, peeled and filled (without caviar) up to four hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Add the caviar within 30 minutes of serving. A 20g tin of Royal Baerii at £12 serves 12 egg halves generously — roughly 1.5g of caviar per half, which is the right amount for this preparation.