Mary’s Place Deviled Crab Deviled crab is popular all along southern shores, and it is a spe- cialty in South Carolina. It was there we once came across a takeout joint called Fishnet Seafoods, the proprietors of which were power- fully religious. All around their little shop, which was a former gas sta- tion, they posted signs reminding customers of Jesus’ goodness and ultimate importance. Their belief was so strong that they called their deviled crab by a different name: Jesus crab. When we inquired about this dish, one of the employees told us,“It’s deviled crab, but too good to be named for the devil.” Our introduction to the best deviled crab, though, was not on the Atlantic but near the Gulf Coast, in the town of Coden, Alabama, at a bare-bones little eatery named Mary’s Place. Mary Hunter’s menu was Creole soul food with a Mobile Bay twist, and here we learned to appreciate such Gulf Coast passions as spicy steamed crabs and West Indies salad, cool crabmeat and chopped onions in a bright vinai- grette. (Mary passed away in 1990, but the restaurant is still there, and still terrific.) Mary once explained to us that the essential ingredient that made her deviled crab so luxurious was supermarket white bread soaked in whole milk. The deviled part comes from Tabasco sauce, and if you like it hot as Hades, you can double or triple the amount in this non- incendiary version. 6 slices white bread 1 cup whole milk 1 large egg 4 tablespoons (B/c stick) butter 32 Two for the Road: Our Love Affair with American Food by Jane and Michael Stern www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com 1 of 2 Copyright © 2006 Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.