Thousand-Year-Old Deviled Eggs and Crab

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 6 darjeeling tea bags or 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 reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 pinch wasabi powder or 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. 1

   Put eggs in a saucepan; cover with water.

2. 2

   Bring just to a boil.

3. 3

   Reduce heat; gently simmer 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Lift out eggs with a slotted spoon; set aside.

5. 5

   When cool enough to handle, roll eggs on a counter to crack shells all over.

6. 6

   DO NOT PEEL!

7. 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. 8

   Discard tea bags, squeezing to extract as much liquid as possible.

9. 9

   Place eggs in liquid, simmer gently for 10 minutes, then refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight in liquid.

10. 10

    Drain eggs; peel and blot dry.

11. 11

    Let them stand for at least 1 hour uncovered in the refrigerator for the marbled pattern to develop.

12. 12

    Carefully cut the eggs in half lengthwise; remove and mash the yolks.

13. 13

    Combine yolks with crabmeat, shallots, and minced pickled ginger.

14. 14

    Blend the pickled ginger liquid (if using), mayonnaise, vinegar, and wasabi together; combine with crab mixture.

15. 15

    Season to taste with salt and pepper.

16. 16

    Fill each egg half with rounded mound of the crab mixture.

17. 17

    Top with a small slice of pickled ginger and a piece of chive.