Deviled crab (croqueta de jaiba in Spanish) is a crab meat croquette. Deviled crab croquettes originated in Tampa, Florida, where they were developed in the Spanish, Cuban and Italian immigrant community of Ybor City. It is typically served for lunch or as a snack, and it is meant to be eaten with one hand.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions, white and tender green parts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 hard-cooked eggs, grated or finely chopped
- 20 saltine crackers, coarsely crushed, divided
- 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked through for bits of shell
- Lemon wedges, for serving
DIRECTIONS
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Place 4 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add the celery, bell pepper, scallions, and salt. Cook until tender, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
- Add the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and stir to combine. Add the eggs and 1/2 cup of the cracker crumbs and stir to combine. Gently fold in the crabmeat, so as not to break up the lumps.
- Evenly divide the mixture among 16 prepared crab shells or 8 individual gratin dishes sitting on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl, add the remaining cracker crumbs, and toss to combine. Sprinkle evenly over the crab mixture and bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes and then serve warm with lemon wedges.
TIP: These don't have to be served on a crab shell. You could put scoops (like when making cookies) onto cut squares of foil and bake them just as easy.
