The deviled crab is prepared by slowly sautéing blue crab meat with a seasoning sauce made with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and various other flavors. This seasoning sauce is a version of a Cuban-style enchilada / sofrito sauce, known locally as "chilau". Once most of the liquid is gone, the cooked crab meat is rolled in breadcrumbs (traditionally stale Cuban bread) and hand-formed into the approximate shape of a rugby football or small potato, then deep fried until brown. Early versions of the recipe usually contained more spicy chili pepper than modern versions, thus giving them the appellation "deviled" in English. As the croqueta's spiciness was toned down to account for a wider range of tastes, various pepper sauces became a common condiment utilized by those who liked their deviled crabs hot.food museum blog: Devil Crabs Served Up With Cuban Luvvvvvv
