Many a dinner party in America gets underway with a platter of deviled eggs: hard-boiled eggs that have been split in half, their yolks removed and mixed with cayenne pepper, mayo and other seasonings, this mixture then stuffed back into the hard-boiled whites. I think the popularity of this dish can be explained by the fact that the eggs are easy to make, delicious, and very festive-looking. The following new variation, with its alluring chunks of crabmeat—shellfish being a wonderfully sympathetic flavor in this ensemble—is even more cause for festivity. And no harder to make!
Makes 16 egg halves
8 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon dry sherry
1/2 lb. backfin crabmeat
paprika for garnish
1. Cut the eggs in half the long way. Carefully remove the hard yolks from the eggs, making sure not to break the 16 halves of hard-boiled whites that remain. Place the yolks in a mixing bowl.
2. Mash the yolks with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and sherry. Blend well until the mixture is smooth. Fold in the crabmeat, trying to keep the crab pieces as intact as possible. Taste for seasoning.
3. Divide the crabmeat mixture among the 16 halves of hard-boiled egg whites, placing the mixture in the cavity where the yolks used to be. Sprinkle decoratively with paprika, and serve.
Photo by boursin.com
