Heights Heighlights Side Bar - Jan/Feb 2009

Have-Another-Tampa: Devilishly Delicious

If you’ve lived in Tampa for any length of time, you’ve likely had yourself a Deviled Crab. But did you know that it was invented in Ybor City?

During the Great Depression, Ybor residents sensibly fed themselves with meals made of ingredients that were cheap and readily available. At the time, two of the easiest to come by were the not-so-great pieces of crab and leftover, stale Cuban bread. When the two were mixed together and deep fried, the Deviled Crab was born.

Although the Ybor original started off more like a small croquette, it began to grow plump as the era’s continued economic despair spurred families to waste nothing and to stretch any food scraps to feed as many mouths as possible.

Street vendors eventually started selling the deviled crab throughout Tampa; some using wooden boxes strapped to bicycles to hold and transport their wares.

The Depression faded, but the area’s taste for the Deviled Crab did not. If you haven’t tried one yet, it can be sampled very inexpensively at most Cuban and Spanish restaurants throughout Tampa.

Note: “Deviled Crabs” share no similarities with other deviled foods, such as Deviled Eggs. That makes the term an English misnomer. The Spanish name, Croqueta de Jaiba, if far more accurate. It simply translates to "Crab Croquette."

Make Your Own!
The following is just one, sure to be disputed, way to make your own Deviled Crab.

Deviled Crab Cakes: 4 Servings

Ingredients
• 1 lb Crabmeat
• 2 tb Green onion; chopped
• Butter
• 2 tb Prepared mustard
• 2 tb Flour
• 1 ts Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 c Light cream
• 1/8 ts Hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 c Soft fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 ts Salt
• 1/4 c Green pepper; minced
• 1 c Fine, dry Cuban Bread crumbs

Instructions
Leave crabmeat in large lumps. Melt 1 tbsp butter; stir in flour. Gradually stir in cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and thick. Remove from heat. Add Cuban Bread crumbs, green pepper, onion, and seasonings. Add crabmeat and mix lightly. Place dry bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Put a large spoonful of crab mixture on the crumbs, sprinkle dry crumbs on top, and shape into a cake. Do not pack. Repeat, making 8 cakes in all. Heat 2 tbsps butter in a large heavy skillet, and sauté cakes lightly, adding more butter as needed.

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