Deviled Soft Shell Crabs With Dipping Sauce Food

DEVILED CRABS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Pulse the onion, celery and red bell pepper in a food processor until minced. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced vegetables and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, sherry, seafood seasoning, mace and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the cooled vegetables. Fold in the crabmeat and cracker crumbs. Spoon about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the crab mixture into each crab shell and brush with melted butter. Place the crab shells on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

DEVILED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix flour, cornmeal, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, ground coriander, and salt in shallow bowl.
• Heat 2 inches of oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees.
• Coat crabs thoroughly with flour mixture and fry 2 at a time, turning once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drip and serve hot with dipping sauce.
• To make dipping sauce, mix last 12 ingredients in small bowl.

DEVILED CRAB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Melt butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook onion and celery, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• Gently toss crab with lemon juice.
• Coarsely crush saltines with your hands in a large bowl. Stir in onion mixture, Sherry, cayenne, and salt, then fold in crab.
• Divide among scallop shells and bake in middle of oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
• We use Outerbridge's brand, from Bermuda. Available at specialty foods shops and from 441-296-4451 or outerbridge.com.
• ** Available at Bridge Kitchenware (800-274-3435).

DEVILED CRAB

Steps:

• In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the flour, mustard, salt and cayenne and cook until the mixture is smooth and bubbling, about five minutes.
• Whisk the raw egg yolk into the milk and add to the roux. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and smooth. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, parsley, lemon juice and hard-cooked egg yolks. Gently fold in the crab meat. Remove from heat.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spoon the mixture into small ramekins and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake until the tops brown, about 10 minutes.

SOFT-SHELL CRAB WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Season the flour for dredging: mix together flour, cumin, coriander, cayenne, paprika and salt in a shallow bowl. Quickly dip both sides of the crabs in flour mixture and shake off excess.
• Put 4 tablespoons melted butter in a large, wide cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When butter is hot, carefully put in the crabs, top side down. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, until well crisped and cooked through. Remove crabs to a warmed platter. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Add 4 more tablespoons melted butter to pan and add sliced almonds. Stir to coat and cook until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add preserved lemon and cilantro and turn off heat.
• Spoon butter sauce over crabs, surround with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

DEVILED CRAB WITH SHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Remove crabmeat from shell, discarding cartilage, and cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour and cook, whisking, 2 minutes. Add milk in a slow stream, whisking, then add garlic and bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking, until béchamel is thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and discard garlic.
• Whisk together yolks, Sherry, mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt in a bowl, then add hot béchamel in a slow stream, whisking. Pour mixture into saucepan and cook over very low heat, whisking constantly, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir in crabmeat and parsley. Divide mixture among 6 (4-ounce) ramekins.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cool slightly. Stir together melted butter, bread crumbs, and cheese with a fork, then sprinkle over crab. Put ramekins in a shallow baking pan and bake in upper third of oven until crab is bubbling and crumbs are golden brown, about 5 minutes.