Executive Chef Gregory James, of STARS Restaurant and the Inn at Perry Cabin, gives his take on a crabby classic
Recipe by Executive Chef Gregory James | Photography by Jill Jasuta
Throughout the course of my career, I have had the good fortune to live all over our great country. My most recent endeavor has led me to The Inn at Perry Cabin and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The art of cooking is what makes me feel alive, keeps my heart beating and allows me to stay young. I’ve given my entire life to my career, but truth be told, this journey has given me so much more in return. Some of my most cherished memories in life are those of cooking family meals with my parents and siblings. Traveling, eating and sharing of tales of brotherhood in the kitchen is what my life is all about.
Scotch Imperial Egg
Ingredients
6 six-minute eggs, boiled and peeled
1½ cups imperial mix
100 g spinach, blanched and drained
1/3 cup flour
3 eggs, beaten for egg wash
180 g (almost 1 cup) Panko breadcrumbs
1¼ tsp Old Bay seasoning
Oil for frying
Imperial Mix Ingredients
¼ cup Duke’s mayonnaise
1¾ tsp Dijon mustard
4 g (almost 1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce
4 g (almost 1 tsp) hot chili sauce
1 egg yolk
½ lemon, zest only
3 g (almost ¾ tsp) Old Bay seasoning
3 g (almost ¾ tsp) parsley, chopped
3 g (almost ¾ tsp) chives, minced
1½ cups lump crabmeat
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Transfer to a sheet pan, plate or flat surface, leave out or refrigerate allowing the mix the “dry out.”
Imperial Sauce Ingredients
75 g (about 1/3 cup) Duke’s mayonnaise
4¼ tsp Dijon mustard
7 g (about 1½ tsp) Worcestershire sauce
7 g (about 1½ tsp) IPC Fresno chili sauce
1 egg yolk
½ lemon, zest only
3 g (almost ¾ tsp) parsley, chopped
3 g (almost ¾ tsp) chives, minced
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Transfer to a pint container. Label, date and refrigerate.
Recipe Instructions
Make the crab imperial mix. Allow to rest while assembling other ingredients.
Divide the blanched spinach into six piles, wrap the leaves around each of the six, six-minute eggs until they are completely encased. Then wrap each of the eggs with the imperial crab. Allow this to rest on the egg for 30 minutes to firm up.
Gently flour the crab-and-spinach- wrapped egg. Then dip into egg wash and finally the panko breadcrumbs. Allow to rest again for another hour.
Heat the oil in a tall saucepan over medium high heat until 325°F. Cook the egg until golden brown. Remove from oil, place onto a clean and dry on a paper towel. Place a 1/3 cup of the imperial sauce on the plate and place the egg on top. Season with Old Bay. CS