Crispy Soft Shelled Crabs With Bean Salad Food

SAUTéED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH LEMON-BUTTER PAN SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, season flour with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge crabs in the seasoned flour.
• In a 10-inch stainless steel skillet, melt 4 tablespoons (60g) butter over medium-high heat until foamy. Add crabs, shell-side down, and cook until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes; be careful, as soft-shell crabs sometimes pop in the pan. Flip crabs and cook until crisp and golden on bottom side, about 3 minutes. Transfer crabs to paper towel-lined plates and season lightly with salt.
• Add remaining 4 tablespoons (60g) butter to the skillet and melt until foaming. Lower heat to medium and cook until the butter turns a medium-brown color, about 2 minutes.
• Add capers and cook until lightly crisped, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice, swirl to combine, and remove from heat.
• Stir parsley into pan sauce, season with salt, if needed. Transfer crabs to a serving platter and spoon sauce on top. Serve right away.

CRUNCHY SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Soak crabs in a bowl of buttermilk.
• In a deep fryer or saucepan, heat 4 inches of oil to 375 degrees.
• Whisk together cornmeal and flour, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove crabs from buttermilk, letting excess drip back into bowl. Coat crabs evenly in the cornmeal mixture. Working in batches, fry until golden brown and crisp all over, turning if needed, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. While warm, season with salt. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

GRILLED SOFTSHELL CRAB SALAD WITH GREEN GARLIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat grill. Brush crabs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through.Divide above ingredients among 4 large plates. Top each plate with a crab and drizzle with green garlic vinaigrette.
• Place vinegar, shallot, parsley, garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly add olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

CRISPY SOFT-SHELLED CRABS WITH BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath with lightly salted water. Add salt to boiling water, return to a boil, and add beans or peas. Cook until just tender but still crunchy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer to prepared ice-water bath to cool; drain.
• Place tomatoes and beans or peas in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add basil and toss to combine.
• In a shallow bowl, beat together milk and eggs. In another shallow bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Dip each crab in milk mixture to coat, and then dredge completely in flour mixture.
• Set a wire rack over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Season crabs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, fry crabs until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to prepared wire rack. Continue frying until all crabs have been cooked.
• Drizzle salad with olive oil; toss to combine. Divide salad evenly between 4 plates and top each with 2 fried crabs. Serve immediately with garlic mayonnaise.

SOFT-SHELL CRAB SALAD WITH GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

Steps:

• To make the green goddess dressing: Simply puree the ingredients together in a blender, until light green and creamy. Cover and stick the dressing in the fridge to allow the flavors to come together.
• To prepare the soft-shell crabs: Pour the buttermilk in a shallow bowl large enough to hold all the crabs. Season the buttermilk with crab boil seasoning, salt, and pepper. Lay the crabs in the buttermilk mixture and marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 hour; soaking the crabs in buttermilk helps plump them up when cooked. Remove the crabs from the milk bath and let the excess drip off.
• Pour 2 inches of oil in a heavy frying pan or large pot and heat to 350 degrees F.
• Put the flour in a pie dish or plate and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Dredge the crabs in the seasoned flour to coat, shaking off the excess. Lay the crabs in the hot oil in a single layer without crowding; you may have to fry them in batches. Be careful, the crabs have a tendency to pop and spatter. Cook the crabs for about 3 minutes on each side, turning once, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
• To assemble the salad: combine the watercress, lettuce, and onion slices in a mixing bowl. Pour in 1/2 cup of the green goddess dressing, tossing to coat. Arrange the salad on a serving platter, put the fried crabs on top, and grate the hard boiled egg over the whole thing. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

CRISPY SOFT SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Soak the crabs in milk for 30 minutes. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, ginger, paprika and garlic powder in a bag; dredge crabs in the mixture.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the crabs until golden-brown, 5 minutes per side.
• Spread buns with mayonnaise; top each with a crab. Dollop with coleslaw, if desired. Serve immediately.

SAUTEED SOFTSHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place flour on a plate, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge soft-shell crabs in flour, shaking off excess. When the skillet is hot, add half the butter and canola oil to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Add four crabs, backside down, being careful to avoid spattering. When they brown lightly, turn, and finish cooking on the other side, until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes total, depending on the size of the crabs. Drain on paper towels, and repeat with remaining crabs, adding more butter or oil to pan if needed.
• In a small bowl, stir together remaining clarified butter and lemon juice. Drizzle over crabs, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

THAI SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Combine the milk and Tabasco in a bowl. Set aside. Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow pan. Dip the crabs in the milk and dredge in flour mixture. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Place the crabs in pan and cook for 3 minutes. Turn and cook until tender, about 2 more minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Drain the fat from the pan. Return the skillet to the stove. Add the wine, lime juice, chilies and scallions. Turn the heat up to medium-high and simmer until sauce reduces to 1/3 cup, about 3 to 5 minutes. Place two crabs on each of four plates. Drizzle with sauce and garnish with minced mint, basil and coriander leaves.

SOFT-SHELLED CRABS MEUNIèRE

Steps:

• Combine milk, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish and soak crabs 5 minutes. Lift 1 crab out of milk, letting excess drip off, and dredge in flour. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a tray. Repeat with remaining crabs, arranging them in 1 layer as coated.
• Heat clarified butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté crabs, upside down, 2 minutes. Turn over and sauté until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Transfer crabs to a serving dish. Add butter pieces to skillet and cook until golden brown with a nutty aroma. Add lemon juice and parsley (mixture will bubble up) and remove from heat.
• Season sauce with salt and pepper and drizzle over crabs.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Combine cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or plate.
• Whisk egg whites in a small bowl until just frothy. Dip crabs into egg whites to coat. Dredge them in the seasoned cornmeal, shake off excess, and set aside.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange 4 crabs on their bellies in the pan. Cook until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer crabs to a plate and add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil to pan. Return crabs to pan, on their backs, and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes more. Remove crabs from skillet and keep warm on a baking sheet in a 300 degrees oven. Repeat with the remaining olive oil and crabs.
• Divide arugula among four plates. Arrange 2 crabs over each plate of arugula, spoon confit over or around crabs, and serve.