Soft Shell Crabs In Surrey Bacon Dressing Food

SOFT-SHELL CRABS IN SURREY BACON DRESSING

Steps:

• Place diced bacon in a large, heavy skillet and cook over medium-low heat until all the fat is rendered and bacon bits are very crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, drain on a paper towel and reserve.
• Add diced red onion to skillet and cook over medium heat until very soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle sugar evenly over onions and cook over low heat, without stirring, until the sugar caramelizes, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely, then fold into mayonnaise.
• Put a lettuce leaf on each of 4 serving plates. Put 2 tomato slices to one side on each plate. Spoon chilled dressing over lettuce.
• Pour clarified butter or oil into a large heavy skillet and heat over a medium flame. Dredge 4 soft-shell crabs in seasoned flour, shaking off excess, and place in skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side (jumbos will take longer), until crisp. Hold in a warm place while cooking remaining crabs. Transfer to prepared plates and sprinkle with reserved bacon bits. Serve at once.

SUPER SOFT-SHELL CRABS, BAYOU BACON WRAPPED OYSTERS, LOUISIANA CHARBROILED OYSTERS, GRILLED GULF SHRIMP SKEWERS

Steps:

• In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees F.
• Mix the flour and Cajun seasoning and in a flat pan.
• Mix egg, hot sauce, mustard and beer in a bowl. Put the crabs in the beer mixture and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the crabs from the beer mixture, 1 at a time, and dust thoroughly in the flour mixture.
• Put the crabs, with legs down, in hot the oil and fry until golden brown.
• Melt the butter in saucepan and add the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and parsley. Put each crab, on its side with the legs up, on a serving platter and drizzle the sauce over the top. Serve immediately.
• Remove the gills from the crabs (cut in half if using large crabs).
• In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees F.
• Put 2 cups of the flour in a shallow pan. Add the oysters and turn to coat. Mix the egg, beer, hot sauce, mustard and seasoning in a bowl. Dip the oysters in the beer wash. Lightly flour again in the remaining 2 cups flour in a second shallow pan. Wrap the oysters in bacon and thread onto skewers.
• Fry the oysters, 1 at a time, in the oil until they float to the top. Remove them from the oil to a serving platter and serve immediately.
• Preheat a grill to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the minced shallots, vinegar and black pepper in a squeeze bottle.
• Put the oysters, on half shell, on the grill. Squirt each oyster with 1 tablespoon of mignonette sauce.
• When the oysters start to bubble, add a pinch of Parmesan and 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
• Grill until the cheese starts to brown on the edges. Remove the oysters from the grill to a serving platter and serve immediately.
• Skewer the shrimp, bell peppers and onions in alternating colors. Melt the butter, hot sauce and honey together in a saucepan over low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmering boil and reduce the sauce, stirring constantly, until creamy. Preheat a grill to 350 degrees F. Grill the shrimp until lightly browned. Remove the skewers from the grill to a serving platter and drizzle the shrimp with the butter sauce. Serve immediately.

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-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.

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.

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.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• Put the crabs in a shallow dish in one layer and add the milk, cayenne, salt and pepper. Turn the crabs in the milk.
• Dip the crabs immediately into the flour, turning to coat them well. Shake off the excess flour.
• Heat the oil until quite hot in a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the crabs in one layer. Add the crabs, belly side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes (more or less, depending on the size of the crabs) until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.
• Transfer the crabs to a warm serving platter. Garnish with lemon slices.
• Wipe out the skillet with a clean cloth and add the butter. When it is bubbling and turned hazelnut color add the lemon juice and pour the mixture over the crabs. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

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.