Deviled Eggs (Crab)

These haute deviled eggs - the whites marinated in soy sauce and pomegranate vinegar - à la minute at a stand-up bar l'Avant Comptoir de la Mer in Paris, but you can make the filling up to a day in advance and keep it refrigerated. Be sure to drain the whites immediately after 15 minutes of marinating so they don't toughen.

6 large eggs
4 large yolks
½ cup pomegranate vinegar
½ cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 cups peanut oil
3 Tbsp. + ½ tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
2 oz jumbo lump crabmeat
2½ Tbsp. Granny Smith apple, finely diced
2½ Tbsp. avocado, finely diced
1 Tbsp. fresh chives, finely chopped

Garnish:
fresh chives
Piment d'Espelette

Place the whole eggs in a small saucepan, cover with water by 1", and then bring to boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 8 minutes. Drain the eggs and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop their cooking. Peel the eggs, then halve lengthwise. Scoop the yolks into a small bowl and set aside. Place the whites in a medium bowl, and pour the vinegar and soy sauce over, stirring gently to combine. Let stand for 15 minutes, then drain and transfer to a plate.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the mustard with the raw egg yolks until smooth. While constantly whisking, very slowly drizzle the peanut oil into the yolks until it emulsifies and thickens into a mayonnaise. Stir in 3 Tbsp. lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Spoon ¾ cup of the mayonnaise into the bowl with the reserved cooked yolks and mash and stir until smooth. Set aside the remaining plain mayonnaise.

In another bowl, combine the crab meat with the apple, avocado, and chives. Stir in the remaining ½ tsp. lemon juice and 1 Tbsp. plain mayonnaise until evenly combined, then season with piment d'Espelette.

Spoon the crab mixture into the cavities of each egg white, then dollop the yolk mayo over the top. Garnish each egg with some chive batons and serve immediately.

Makes 4-6 servings.