1. Cook the eggs

Place all 12 eggs in a saucepan. Pour in cool water to cover the eggs by about 1–2 inches. Bring the pan to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, remove the saucepan from heat, cover it with a lid, and let the eggs stand in the hot water (undisturbed) for 10 minutes.

2. Prepare the aromatics and bacon

While the eggs sit, melt the tablespoon of unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and the chopped fresh sage; sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the shallot is softened and the aroma of sage is released. Transfer this mixture to a small bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, cook the 4 bacon slices over medium heat, flipping once, until they are browned and crisp (about 5–6 minutes). Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain and cool. Once cooled, crumble or chop into small pieces.

3. Cool, peel, and halve the eggs

After the 10 minutes in hot water, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge them into ice water (or very cold water) for at least 1 minute. This helps stop cooking and makes peeling easier. Peel each egg, then slice lengthwise into halves.

4. Separate yolks and mash filling

Carefully pop out the yolks and place them in a medium bowl; place the egg white halves, cut side up, on your serving platter. Mash the yolks thoroughly with a fork until finely crumbled.

Into the mashed yolks, add the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Stir or mash until smooth and creamy. Then stir in the reserved shallot​-​sage mixture, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Taste the mixture and adjust salt or pepper as needed.

5. Fill the whites

Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into each egg white’s hollow. To pipe, transfer the filling to a reusable piping bag or a zip​-​top plastic bag, snip off one corner, and squeeze filling into each egg. Fill so the filling mounds slightly above the white.

6. Garnish and serve

Sprinkle crumbled bacon over the top of each deviled egg. Serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve