The Ingenuity of Lowcountry’s Deviled Crab

Deviling bolsters smaller pieces of blue crab with mayonnaise, bread crumbs, sautéed aromatics, plus a kick of cayenne.

Growing up on Hilton Head Island, S.C., Andrew Carmines loved visiting nearby Singleton Beach for its promise of deviled crabs, a cousin to crab cakes that originated here in the South Carolina Lowcountry, served from a seaside shack.

But while crab cakes highlight large, delicate lumps of blue crab, deviled crab stretches smaller, fishier bits of claw and body meat into a filling appetizer or entree with mayonnaise, bread crumbs, sautéed onions and garlic and a hit of cayenne.

“It was a way to utilize part of the crab that was less desirable,” said Mr. Carmines, adding that the legs and claws stand up better to more aggressive seasoning.