Maryland Crab Deviled Eggs
Nothing says summer in Maryland like fresh blue crabs, some local corn and good company. My husband wanted crabs for Father’s Day, so we called up our favorite crab guy to buy a couple dozen.
Since it was just him and I that weekend, we ended up with a few extra crabs and I started thinking about how I could use them with some of the goodies currently in season on our farm.
I decided to make Crab deviled eggs. It’s a fun summer twist on the cookout classic - and they turned out fantastic!
To start, I “hardboiled” my farm fresh eggs using my tried and true, 5-5-5 method. Our eggs are newer and fresher than store bought eggs, so hard boiling can be a bit tricky. The egg whites of fresh eggs stick to the shell after hard boiling using a traditional method. Using an Instant Pot is the best way that I have found to get the perfect deviled egg presentation for your fresh eggs.
While those cooked, I picked my crabs - saving all the meat. When it comes to crabcakes, there is a bit of debate about whether to only use back fin or to use all the meat. I picked everything and with 3 jumbo crabs, there was plenty of meat to make my deviled eggs. Since these were leftover steamed/seasoned crabs, I didn’t want too much salt added to this recipe from the shells and my picking fingers, so I rinsed the meat in a strainer and set it aside.
Once the eggs were cooked, peeled and cooled, I cut each egg in half lengthwise and put the yolks in a separate bowl. Mash the egg yolks together with a fork adding Mayonnaise, Mustard and Old Bay Seasoning. Next you can stir some of your crab meat into the yolk mixture, reserving some for the tops of your deviled eggs.
One of my favorite tricks for filling deviled eggs, is to scoop the filling mixture into a Ziploc bag and “pipe” it onto the top of the egg whites. Since we had the crab meat in the mix, I didn’t use a cake piping tip, but with regular deviled eggs, a fancy piping tip in your Ziploc bag also gives a nice, polished look to your deviled eggs.
Once you’ve got the yolk mixture on each egg, top each egg with a few large pieces of crab meat and sprinkle a little extra old bay on top.
These eggs were yummy and an awesome nod to eating local and seasonally here in Maryland. Locally caught blue crabs and fresh eggs from our farm. Next time you need a quick easy recipe for a summer cookout or potluck, be sure to give this a try!
