Ingredients
  • 12 eggs
  • About 1/4 cup crème fraîche
  • 1 shallot, minced or grated
  • 1 small rib celery heart, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, to taste plus a few dashes for crab
  • 1 teaspoon (1/3 palmful) Old Bay plus a sprinkle to garnish
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped plus fronds to garnish
  • 8 ounces lump crabmeat
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • Minced chives, to garnish
Preparation

In a saucepan, cover eggs with water and bring to a full, rolling boil. Cover pan and remove from heat. Let eggs stand 11 minutes.
 
Crack boiled eggs and let them stand in cold water to loosen shells, about 10 minutes.

 
For 12 whole stuffed eggs: peel eggs, cut off a third of the egg white on a bias and discard tops.
 
For 24 servings: cut eggs in half.
 
Carefully scoop the egg yolks into a mixing bowl and add crème fraîche, grated shallot, minced celery, salt, pepper, Dijon, Tabasco, a teaspoon of Old Bay and dill. Combine and adjust seasonings to taste.
 
Run your fingertips through the crab to check for shells then dress crab with lemon juice and a little hot sauce.  Fold crab into egg mixture and spoon carefully into hardboiled egg whites.  Garnish eggs with minced chives and dill fronds.