To cook the perfect hard-cooked egg: Fill large pot with water (enough to cover eggs you are going to cook). Add a little salt. Bring water to a rolling boil. Place eggs in boiling water and cover pot.
Reduce heat to low and cook, covered for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain water out of pot. Add enough ice to the pot to cover eggs to immediately stop cooking and allow eggs to cool quickly for peeling.
Peel eggs and rinse well to remove any bits of shell.
Cut eggs in half horizontally (this way they will sit up straight on a plate). Cut a tiny piece off the ends of the eggs to help them sit up straight. Remove yolks and place yolks in a bowl and mash with fork.
Add bacon, mayonnaise, shallot, mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to yolks. Stir until well combined.
Spoon the egg yolk filling into the egg halves evenly (use a piping bag with a large star tip to pipe the filling into the eggs to make them look "fancy").
Garnish each deviled egg with a slice of cornichon or pickle and sprinkle with paprika. Place on serving plate. Cover serving plate lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until service. Serve very well chilled.
