Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs with Toasted Pecans

The trick here is to hard-cook the eggs exactly 15 minutes — no more, no less — and then plunge them into ice water. I’m not normally so precise in cooking, but 15 minutes creates the perfect yolk to crumble into the pimento cheese mixture. I am partial to pimento cheese on the drier side rather than the looser, mayo-generous varieties. This recipe uses just enough mayonnaise to bring together the other ingredients and let the flavor of the egg yolk stand out. White cheddar works much better in the filling over traditional orange, as its sharpness balances best with the creamy yolks. Next, bits of fresh red pepper are stirred in to refresh and enhance the flavor of the roasted pimentos.

The addition of toasted pecans plays up deviled eggs’ Southern heritage and gives a nice nutty bite. Sometimes, just for kicks, I add grated fresh Parmesan to bring in some depth and sophistication to this fairly simple dish. I like to serve these deviled eggs on a cake stand. It makes them pop on the party table and gives guests permission to reach in and grab. Twenty-four eggs fit perfectly on a standard 12-inch stand — just make sure the cake plate has a lip around the edge to keep the eggs contained. Once in position, I sprinkle the eggs with the remaining toasted pecans for a final finish.

Ingredients:

For the deviled eggs:

• 13 large eggs (in case one breaks)
• 1 1/4 cups shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos, drained very well and chopped
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped toasted pecans
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 dashes Tabasco or other hot sauce

For garnish:

• Finely chopped red bell pepper
• Chopped toasted pecans