Soft Shell Crab Blts Food

GRILLED OR SAUTEED SOFT SHELL CRAB BLT

Steps:

• If grilling, brush the crabs lightly with blended olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. If sauteing, season the crabs with salt and pepper, and dredge lightly in flour. Cook the crabs for about 3 minutes per side over medium heat. Set aside and keep warm. Place the toasted brioche in the center of a plate and cover it generously with Basil Mayonnaise. Layer the arugula leaves, tomato slices, and warm pancetta, in that order, on top of the brioche. Top with the warm crabs and squeeze more Basil Mayonnaise over the plate and the crabs. Garnish with rosemary, and serve with shoestring potatoes or chips.
• Place the egg yolks, water, and basil in the bowl of a food processor. Turn on the processor and slowly add the oil through the feeding tube. Add salt and pepper, to taste. If the mayonnaise is too thick, add a little water. Transfer Basil Mayonnaise to a squeeze bottle and refrigerate.

SOFT-SHELL CRAB B.L.T. WITH LEMON-PEPPER MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• To make the mayonnaise: In a food processor, combine the egg yolks, salt, mustard, and lemon juice; process together to form a stable base. With the motor running, add a few drops of the oil, the mixture will begin to thicken. Then, begin adding the remaining oil in a thin, steady stream. Scrape down the sides of the processor and pour the mayonnaise into a small bowl. Mix in the black pepper and parsley, cover, and refrigerate; may be kept for up to 3 days.
• 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 build the sandwich: Spread the lemon pepper mayonnaise on both halves of the toasted bread, add the lettuce, tomato, bacon, and avocado. Lay a fried soft-shell crab on top and close up the sandwich.

SOFT SHELL CRAB BASKET

Steps:

• Start by cleaning the soft-shell crabs, removing the gills and the skirt flap. Refrigerate until ready to cook. On the stove, over medium heat slowly bring the vegetable oil to 325 degrees. Then lower the heat to hold the temperature. While the oil is heating prepare the buttermilk by mixing in the grated lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. In a shallow pie tin combine the flour and the Old Bay seasoning. The correct way to batter using flour is a method known as dry-wet-dry, so start by coating the crabs with the seasoned flour then dredging them into the buttermilk and then back into the flour. Carefully using tongs drop the crabs into the oil and fry until crisp, when golden brown, remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Serve the crabs in a basket with French fries, coleslaw, grilled corn, tartar sauce, and lemon. Another delicious serving method is to eat on white toasted bread with lettuce & tomato and mayonnaise.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CAPER BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• To prepare the soft-shell crabs: 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. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high flame. 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 and cover to keep warm.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan. Let the butter melt and cook until it just begins to brown. Add the capers and wine; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until almost dry. Add the lemon juice and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Pour the caper brown butter sauce over the crabs and serve with lemon wedges.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CURRY BUTTER

Steps:

• Make the curry butter: Put the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cloves in a dry skillet over medium heat. When spices are lightly toasted and fragrant, after a minute or so, grind them to a powder in a mortar or electric spice mill. Add nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne and turmeric.
• Put butter in a bowl. Add spices, garlic, ginger, salt and lime zest and juice. Mash seasonings into butter with a wooden spoon. Add crushed almonds and scallions, then mix until well incorporated. (May be prepared several hours ahead, or up to 1 day in advance.)
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons curry butter, let melt and swirl pan to distribute. Dust crabs lightly with rice flour, if using. When butter is foamy, add crabs in one layer and raise heat. Let crabs cook 3 minutes, then turn, using tongs, and cook 3 minutes on the other side. (Be careful, as crabs may spatter.) Remove crabs and keep warm.
• Add 4 tablespoons curry butter to pan and let sizzle. Add pea shoots and cook briefly until wilted, 1 minute or less.
• Arrange crabs on a warm platter or individual plates. Garnish with wilted pea shoots and lime wedges. Spoon melted curry butter from pan over crabs and serve at once.

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.

PAN-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Whisk flour, salt, and pepper; place on a dinner plate. Dredge 2 soft-shell crabs in flour mixture, shaking off excess (make sure crabs are completely coated).
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. The oil should be very hot but not smoking. Place flour-coated crabs, back side down, in sauté pan; reduce heat to medium if pan starts to smoke. Sauté crabs until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes (do not stand too close to pan; crabs tend to spatter during cooking). Turn crabs over, and cook 2 minutes more.
• Add 1 tablespoon butter and a large pinch of parsley to skillet. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over crabs. Keep warm in a low oven. Repeat process until all the crabs are cooked.