Incredibly easy to make, and utterly delectable, my homemade Deviled Crab is devilishly delicious! It's loaded with fresh sweet, blue crab meat, a tasty blend of spices, and just enough filling, made with Ritz crackers and mayonnaise, to help bind everything together.
6 Cleaned blue crab shells for stuffing, ramekins can be used instead
Ingredients
1poundlump blue crab meat
3tablespoonsunsalted butter
3scallions,white part only, finely chopped
1rib of celery,finely chopped
½green bell pepper,seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
½cupmayonnaise
1egg,beaten, can use extra-large or large
3tablespoonssour cream
½teaspoondry mustard
1tablespoonWorcestershire sauce
½teaspoonOld Bay Seasonings
¼teaspoonlemon pepper
1teaspoonCreole Seasoning
24round buttery crackers,I use Ritz
Topping:
2tablespoonsunsalted buttermelted
14round buttery crackers,I use Ritz
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Melt the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, celery, and bell pepper.
Cook and stir for about four minutes or until the veggies are tender and translucent. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Crush the crackers using a food processor or placing them in a plastic bag and crushing them with your hand or a rolling pin.
Use your fingers and carefully pick and feel through the crab meat to remove and discard any bits of shell or cartilage. Set aside.
Add the cooled veggies, mayonnaise, beaten egg, sour cream, dry mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper, and Creole seasoning to a large bowl. Mix well.
Add the crushed crackers and crab meat and toss gently to prevent the lumps from breaking up.
Spoon the mixture into six cleaned blue crab shells or six-ounce oven-proof ramekins.
Crush the crackers using a food processor and add the melted butter to the topping. Process until the butter and crumbs are thoroughly combined. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the stuffing mixture.
Place the stuffed shells or ramekins on a baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes or until the topping is browned and crispy.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Don't skip the step of "picking" through your crab meat. It's incredibly hard to clean a crab without small pieces of shell or cartilage getting mixed in with the meat. Use your fingers to gently sift through the meat, feeling for any hard particles, and use care to avoid breaking up the lumps.Use fresh, high-quality blue crab meat for the best flavor and texture. Lump crab meat is preferred for its large, sweet chunks.If using crab shells, clean them thoroughly to remove any remaining meat, debris, or odors. Follow the cleaning steps mentioned earlier in this blog post.I usually use green bell pepper, but you can also use yellow or red.I prefer my deviled crab without sauce, but some folks, including my husband, like it with cocktail sauce. Remoulade and tartar sauce are also condiments that go well with seafood.Lump meat is expensive, but you can substitute claw meat to keep down the cost of this dish. It will not taste as rich, but it will still be delicious. I have never tried canned or imitation crab meat in this recipe.You can make your own if you don't have any sour cream. Combine one-quarter of a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice with three tablespoons of heavy cream. Let this mixture sit for at least 20 minutes to thicken.