Egg Salad Stuffed Avocados

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 3 tbsp avocado-oil mayonnaise Label: avocado oil, eggs, vinegar, and salt, with no sugar or seed oils
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard Label: mustard seed, vinegar, water, and salt
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 rib celery, finely diced
• 2 tbsp finely chopped chives, plus more to finish
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus a pinch for the avocados
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large ripe avocados
• 1/4 tsp sweet paprika

Instructions

1. Cook the eggs: Set the eggs in a saucepan in a single layer and cover them with cold water by 1 inch. Bring the water to a full boil over high heat, then take the pan off the heat, cover it, and let the eggs stand for 11 minutes. The gentle heat of the water sets the yolks firm all the way through while keeping the whites tender.
2. Chill and peel: Move the eggs to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. The cold stops the cooking, which keeps the yolks bright yellow, and it shrinks the egg slightly away from the shell. Tap each egg all over, roll it on the counter, and peel it under cool running water.
3. Mash the yolks: Halve the eggs and pop the yolks into a bowl. Mash them with a fork along with the mayonnaise, Dijon, 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice, the salt, and a few grinds of pepper until smooth and creamy.
4. Fold in the whites: Chop the whites into small pieces and fold them into the yolk mixture with the celery, chives, and dill. Folding the whites in last keeps them in tender pieces, so the egg salad has texture.
5. Prepare the avocados: Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Brush the cut surfaces with the remaining 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and sprinkle them with a pinch of salt. The lemon slows browning, and the salt seasons the avocado so it tastes as good as the filling.
6. Fill and finish: Mound the egg salad into the avocado hollows, letting it spill over the edges. Dust with the paprika, scatter a few more chives over the top, and serve right away.