Devilled Crab in Tomato

This is a Thai-inspired crab salad packed into hollowed-out Roma tomato halves. Two cups of cooked crab meat mixed with lemongrass, shallots, fish sauce, lime juice, Thai chile sauce, sugar, fresh mint, cilantro, scallions, and hot chili. Every bite is a punch of bright, sour, salty, sweet, and hot, the full Thai flavor spectrum.

The lemongrass is a key player. Half a cup sliced paper-thin adds a citrusy, floral flavor that’s distinctly Southeast Asian. Thick slices will be fibrous and tough to chew, so take the time to slice as thinly as possible, using only the tender inner core of the stalk.

Fish sauce and lime juice together create the salty-sour backbone that defines Thai salads. A quarter cup of each is bold but balanced by two tablespoons of sugar that rounds off the sharp edges. Taste the filling before stuffing. It should hit salty, sour, sweet, and spicy in quick succession.

Thirty Roma tomatoes halved and scooped means you’re making a serious platter here. Arrange them on lettuce leaves and tuck mint leaves around the edges for a presentation that looks as vibrant as it tastes.

Kitchen Tips

• Choose firm Roma tomatoes. Soft, overripe ones collapse when you scoop out the seeds and won’t hold the filling.
• Pick through the crab meat for shell fragments. Even “picked” crab often has tiny pieces hiding in the meat.
• Use real Thai fish sauce (nam pla), not an imitation. The fermented anchovy flavor is irreplaceable.
• Serve cold. Chill the stuffed tomatoes for 30 minutes before plating for the best presentation and flavor.

Variations

• Shrimp version: Replace the crab with finely chopped cooked shrimp for a more budget-friendly option.
• Avocado boats: Stuff the filling into halved avocados instead of tomatoes for a richer, creamier vessel.