Thousand-Year-Old Deviled Eggs and Crab

The recipes in “Steeped in Tradition” are from Eat Tea: Savory and Sweet Dishes Flavored with the World’s Most Versatile Ingredient, by Joanna Pruess with John Harney. Many years ago, I made eggs like this steeped in tea but I never deviled them. This recipe is a little too spicy for me but the others enjoyed them thoroughly! From Country Home Magazine, Dec. 07/Jan. 08.

• Ready In: 24 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6  eggs
• 6  darjeeling tea bags or 6  other  black tea bags
• 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
• 6  ounces  crabmeat, picked over and flaked
• 1⁄4 cup  minced shallot
• 2  tablespoons  minced pickled ginger
• 1  tablespoon  pickled ginger liquid (optional)
• 6  tablespoons mayonnaise, regular or 6  tablespoons  reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  rice wine vinegar
• 1  pinch wasabi powder or 1  pinch wasabi paste
•  fine sea salt, to taste
•  white pepper, to taste
• 1  slice pickled ginger (garnish)
•  chives, cut into 1-inch lengths (garnish)

Directions

1. Put eggs in a saucepan; cover with water.
2. Bring just to a boil.
3. Reduce heat; gently simmer 10 minutes.
4. Lift out eggs with a slotted spoon; set aside.
5. When cool enough to handle, roll eggs on a counter to crack shells all over.
6. DO NOT PEEL!
7. Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water to a boil, add the tea bags and soy sauce; remove from heat and steep 5 minutes.
8. Discard tea bags, squeezing to extract as much liquid as possible.
9. Place eggs in liquid, simmer gently for 10 minutes, then refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight in liquid.
10. Drain eggs; peel and blot dry.
11. Let them stand for at least 1 hour uncovered in the refrigerator for the marbled pattern to develop.
12. Carefully cut the eggs in half lengthwise; remove and mash the yolks.
13. Combine yolks with crabmeat, shallots, and minced pickled ginger.
14. Blend the pickled ginger liquid (if using), mayonnaise, vinegar, and wasabi together; combine with crab mixture.
15. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
16. Fill each egg half with rounded mound of the crab mixture.
17. Top with a small slice of pickled ginger and a piece of chive.