No. 172 Deviled Crabs
Take 1½ dozen crabs; boil them done; pick them carefully out of shell; take ½ dozen crackers; 1 pint of milk is poured over the crackers, mashed fine. Strain the crackers through a fine sieve. Beat up 3 eggs light, and put into the strained crackers salt and cayenne pepper (strong); nutmeg to taste. Now put the crab meat in this. Wash the crab shells clean and wipe perfectly dry. One and one-half dozen will make 1 dozen crabs. Brown to a handsome shade 2 crackers. Mash them fine and put them through a sieve. Put a tablespoonful of wine in the crab meat. Fill the shells; over each crab sift some of this brown cracker dust. Ten minutes before the time for serving put in a quick oven. Lay a napkin on your dish; put them on the napkin and lay parsley round them. Serve perfectly hot.