Thousand-Year-Old Deviled Eggs and Crab

Thousand-Year-Old Deviled Eggs and Crab
6 eggs 3 cups water 3 Darjeeling or other black tea bags 1 tablespoon soy sauce 6 ounces crabmeat, picked and flaked 1/4 cup minced shallots 2 tablespoons minced pickled ginger, plus additional pieces to garnish 1 tablespoon pickled ginger liquid Pinch powdered wasabi or a dab of paste wasabi 6 tablespoons mayonnaise, regular or reduced-fat 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar Salt and white pepper to taste A few chives, cut into 1-inch lengths, to garnishPut the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Lift out eggs with a slotted spoon and set aside; when cool enough to handle, gently roll them on a counter to crack the shells all over. Do not peel.Meanwhile, bring the 3 cups of water to a boil, add the tea bags and soy sauce, and steep for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags, squeezing to extract as much liquid as possible. Return the eggs to the liquid, simmer gently for 10 minutes, then refrigerate for 6-8 hours in the liquid.Drain the eggs, peel and blot dry. The whites will be marbleized. Carefully cut them in half lengthwise, remove and mash yolks. Combine the yolk with the crabmeat, shallots and minced pickled ginger. Blend the pickled ginger liquid, wasabi, mayonnaise and vinegar together, then combine this with the crab mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Fill each egg half with a rounded mound of the crab mixture. Top with a small slice of pickled ginger and a piece of chive.Serves 12.Nutrition values per serving: 101 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 6 g protein, 121 mg cholesterol, 220 mg so-dium.?Eat Tea: A New Approach to Flavoring Contemporary and Traditional Dishes? by Joanna Pruess with John Harney (2001 Lyons Press, $)