Crab Imperial Deviled Eggs
Makes 24
Ingredients
- EGGS
- 12 large eggs
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- CRAB IMPERIAL FILLING
- ⅓ cup Duke’s mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- Pinch smoked paprika
- ¼ cup crème fraîche, or sour cream
- 8 ounces special or backfin crabmeat, picked over for shells
- Kosher salt, to taste
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- BROILED CROWN
- 4 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon prepared filling (reserved from above)
- Pinch of Old Bay seasoning
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- GARNISH
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Smoked paprika, for dusting
- 2 tablespoons finely snipped fresh chives, optional
- Flaky salt, optional
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- For the eggs: Fit a large pot with a steamer basket (I use a bamboo basket, but a metal steamer basket works as well) and add about an inch or two of water, enough to generate steady steam but not so much that the water touches the basket. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Once the steam is rolling, place the eggs in the basket in a single layer, cover, and set a timer for 10 minutes. While the eggs steam, fill a large bowl with cold water and plenty of ice to shock the eggs.
- When the time is up, immediately transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to the ice bath. Let them sit for at least 10 minutes. The cold shock stops the egg from overcooking and contracts the egg away from the shell.
- Gently tap each egg on the counter to crackle the shell all over, then peel under a thin stream of cold running water, starting at the wider end where the air pocket sits. Set peeled eggs on a plate.
- Wipe a sharp paring knife with a damp, clean kitchen towel. Halve each egg lengthwise, wiping the blade clean between cuts so the yolk doesn’t smear the whites. Gently pop the yolks out using a small spoon into a saucepan and arrange the whites cut side up in a deviled egg board.
- For the filling: To the saucepan with the yolks, add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sherry, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, and smoked paprika. Set over the lowest possible heat and warm gently, stirring, for about a minute. You are not cooking the mixture.
- Transfer the filling to the bowl of a food processor, add the crème fraîche, and process until smooth and silky. Transfer to a bowl and reserve 1 tablespoon for the jumbo lump topping. Gently mix the backfin crabmeat into the remaining filling with a spoon or rubber spatula. Taste and season with the kosher salt as needed.
- For the crown: Position an oven rack 4 inches from your broiler element and set the broiler to high. On a small rimmed sheet pan, gently toss the jumbo lump crabmeat with the melted butter, the reserved filling, and a pinch of Old Bay. Spread the crab in a single loose layer. Broil for a minute or two, watching closely, until the edges of the lumps turn golden, then pull it from the broiler. Set aside.
- Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip, or to a zip-top bag with one corner snipped to a half-inch opening. Pipe a generous amount of filling into each egg white half.
- Top each filled egg with one or two lumps of the broiled crab, pressing gently into the filling so they hold.
- For garnish: Sprinkle on lemon zest, a pinch of smoked paprika, maybe fresh chives or flaky salt, and serve with lemon wedges.
Recipe courtesy of Eden Westbook.
