Recipe: St. Simon's Deviled Crab (using hard boiled eggs)

ST. SIMON'S DEVILED CRAB

"Southerners have long known that one of the best ways to stretch a pound of pricey lump crab is to mix in finely chopped hard-cooked eggs-in this case four large ones. This particular recipe comes from one of Georgia's Golden Isles where blue crabs swim in offshore waters but are rarely cheap. St. Simon's cooks bake and serve deviled crabs in well-scrubbed blue crab shells but scallop shells work equally well, so too an au gratin pan or shallow casserole."

4 large eggs, hard-cooked, peeled, and finely chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons finely grated yellow onion
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 pound lump crab meat, bits of shell and cartilage removed
1/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2/3 cup fine soft white bread crumbs tossed with 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter (Topping)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spritz 6 pristine large crab or scallop shells or one 1 1/2-quart au gratin pan or shallow casserole with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Combine first 10 ingredients (hard-cooked eggs through black pepper) in large bowl, then fold in crab meat and heavy cream, taking care not to break up lumps of crab.

Divide crab mixture among crab shells or spoon into au gratin pan, spreading to edge. Scatter with Topping, distributing evenly.

Arrange filled crab shells, not touching, on rimmed baking sheet, slide onto middle oven shelf, and bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes until bubbling and tipped with brown. Note: Baking sheet not needed for au gratin pan and baking time is just the same.

Serve hot as the main course of an elegant luncheon or dinner and accompany with a tossed salad of mixed greens, and if you like, fresh baked biscuits or yeast rolls.

Makes 6 servings
Source: From a Southern Oven by Jean Anderson