Thanksgiving Appetizers Make a Statement - Deviled Eggs with Crab and Charred Corn Kernels

Say "Thanksgiving" and of course "turkey and sides" pop into your mind. But for me, when I think of the Thanksgiving feast, my brain says "appetizers." Turkey is great. Corn bread stuffing, roasted sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce are all great, but Thanksgiving is the time for lots of great appetizers.

To begin the feast, appetizers set the stage, whet the appetite and get the party going.

I'll make prosciutto with Hami melon, home-cured salmon on sourdough crisps with cream cheese, home-made tapenade with lavash crisps, hearts of palm rounds topped with a dab of mayo & a splash of Tabasco, an assortment of soft and hard cheeses, Castelvetrano Green olives and the pièce de résistance, deviled eggs with charred corn and Dungeness crab.

Easy to make, visually fun and delicious, deviled eggs get everyone talking because I add crab (or lobster or shrimp) which isn't what most people think of when they say "deviled eggs."

My mom introduced me to deviled eggs when she would take my sister and me to the beach. I didn't like the ocean because the cold dark water in Santa Monica Bay wasn't and still isn't very nice. But I loved the picnic lunch she would pack. Fried chicken, fresh fruit salad and deviled eggs. Hers were classic with the egg yolks mixed with Best Foods mayo, salt, pepper and a bit of paprika. Easy-peasy.

My version borrows the simplicity of her approach but adds fun with the crunch of charred corn and the luxuriousness of shell fish. I love crab if I can find it fresh, otherwise, shrimp is very available and lobster the most extravagant but all are delicious in their own way.

The filling can be made a day ahead and kept in a refrigerated piping or pastry bag. The easiest kind of bag to use is made out of plastic or choose a reusable cloth pastry bag.

DEVILED EGGS PERFECT FOR PICNICS AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS

Serves 4

Time to cook 20 minutes

Time to cool 5 minutes in ice cold water

Time to prepare 15 minutes

Total time 40 minutes

Ingredients

4 large or extra large eggs

1/2 cup cooked crab, shrimp or lobster, washed, finely chopped

1/4 cup mayo, preferably Best Foods 

1/4 cup corn kernels, off the cob, charred, cooled

Sea salt to taste and to salt the water

1/4 teaspoon dried dill (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pinch of finely ground pepper flakes, Italian or Korean

Directions

Place 4 eggs in a quart saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs. Add 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt to the water and bring to a gentle boil over a medium flame. After 20 minutes, transfer the hardboiled eggs to fresh, cold water. Add ice cubes to cool the water. Allow to rest 15 minutes, Remove from the water and peel. Discard the shells, wash and pat dry the eggs being careful to remove all bits of the shell.

Using a sharp pairing knife, slice each egg the long way so you have 4 quarters. Carefully remove the yolks so the white part doesn't tear. Place the yolks int a bowl and the white "triangles" into a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Using a folk, break up the cooked egg yolks.

Place a frying pan on the stove top. Turn the heat up to medium high. When hot, add the corn kernels. Toss gently until the kernels are toasted/browned. Remove and cool.

In the bowl with the egg yolks, add the toasted corn kernels, season with sea salt, dry dill (optional), freshly ground black pepper and pepper flakes. Using the folk, toss well to combine.

For the shellfish, if available, use raw crab, shrimp or lobster in the shell. Boil a pot of water large enough to hold the shellfish. Cook the crab or lobster 5 minutes. If using shrimp in the shell, boil in water 2 minutes. Remove and cool in cold water. Set aside to cool. Remove the shell and reserve 1/2 cup of cooked meat.

If using already cooked shellfish, all you need do is remove the shells and rinse to get rid of any packaging flavors.

Being careful to remove all shells, roughly chop a 1/2 cup of shellfish meat. Reserve the remainder to make soups, salads or cocktail appetizers.

Add 1/2 cup of shellfish meat to the seasoned egg yolks and stir well to mix.

Add mayo and combine well. Taste and if needed adjust the seasonings or add more mayo. The mixture should be creamy.

Spoon the filling into the pastry bag and reserve until just before serving.

To serve.

Cut 1" off the end of the plastic pastry bag. Line up the egg white quarters on a plate and squeeze out enough filling to make an attractive mound in the middle of each egg white quarter. Serve cold with ice cold beer or a crisp white wine.