Deviled Crab

Name: Deviled Crab
Ingredients: 1 Dungeness crab, about 2 pounds, preferably live; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 cloves garlic, finely minced; 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped; 1/3 pound ground pork, coarsely chopped to loosen; 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted (page 332), stemmed, and chopped; 2 dried wood ear mushrooms, reconstituted (page 334), trimmed, and chopped (about 3 tablespoons); 1 bundle (1.3 ounces) cellophane noodles, soaked in hot water until pliable, drained, and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch lengths; 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten with 1/2 teaspoon water; 2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs

13 ingredients

29 steps

Ingredients

1 Dungeness crab, about 2 pounds, preferably live
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/3 pound ground pork, coarsely chopped to loosen
4 dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted (page 332), stemmed, and chopped
2 dried wood ear mushrooms, reconstituted (page 334), trimmed, and chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
1 bundle (1.3 ounces) cellophane noodles, soaked in hot water until pliable, drained, and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch lengths
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten with 1/2 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs

Directions

1

If you are using a live crab, cook, clean, and remove the crabmeat as directed on page 322.
2

Set the meat and the tomalley and fat aside.
3

If you are using a precooked crab, follow only the directions for cleaning the crab and removing the crabmeat and tomalley and fat.
4

Position a rack in middle of the oven and preheat to 400F.
5

In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat.
6

Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
7

Add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes, or until soft.
8

Add the pork and cook, stirring to breaking it up into smaller pieces, for about 2 minutes, or until it is no longer pink.
9

Add the mushrooms and cellophane noodles, stir to combine, and let cook for about 1 minute.
10

Add the tomalley and fat, fish sauce, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to blend the flavors.
11

Remove from the heat and add the crabmeat, incorporating it gently to maintain nice chunks.
12

Taste and add up to 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce if the flavor lacks depth.
13

Put six 1/2-cup flameproof ramekins on a baking sheet.
14

Distribute the crab mixture evenly among the dishes.
15

The filling compacts as it bakes, so press down lightly as you fill the molds.
16

Brush the tops with the egg yolk, then sprinkle each one with 1 teaspoon of the bread crumbs.
17

Cut the remaining 1 tablespoon butter into bits and dot the tops evenly.
18

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot and lightly sizzling.
19

Turn the oven to broil and slip the baking sheet under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat source.
20

Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the tops are nicely browned.
21

Dont leave them in the oven any longer, or they will dry out.
22

Transfer each dish to a plate and serve.
23

Most Vietnamese and Chinese markets, and some supermarkets, offer two kinds of ground pork, a fattier one and a leaner one.
24

You wont see fat percentages posted, but the costlier one is leaner.
25

There may even be coarsely ground pork (think of a chili grind), which has a texture similar to hand-chopped pork.
26

Or, you can buy a shoulder roast and have it ground on the spot.
27

It will have a fat content of 15 to 20 percent, making it excellent for these recipes, and it freezes beautifully.
28

For smaller quantities, use pork shoulder (blade) steaks and do the chopping yourself (page 69).
29

Try these various options and decide which one you prefer.