Soft Shell Crabs Provencal With Spaghetti Food

PASTA WITH SOFT SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• In a very deep skillet or broad saucepan, warm oil, garlic, and chile flakes over low heat; do not let garlic brown. When garlic is soft, at least 5 minutes, add crabs (keep heat low to medium low; liquid in pan should barely bubble) and cover. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
• Let the crabs cook until they give up all their liquid and become firm, about 15 minutes. When crabs are almost done, begin cooking pasta. When crabs are done, use tongs to remove them and hold them while cutting up with scissors. Return to pan.
• Drain pasta when it is barely tender, a little short of how you'd want to eat it, reserving some cooking water. Add pasta to crabs and toss together over medium heat with pan juices and black pepper, adding some cooking water and a little more oil if necessary. (The amount of each will depend on how much more cooking the pasta needs, and how much liquid the crabs exuded.) Add parsley, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. When pasta is perfectly cooked, serve.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS PROVENCAL WITH SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Bring water in pot to boil.
• Chop whole onion.
• Heat nonstick pan until it is very hot; reduce heat to medium high, and add oil. Saute onion until it begins to soften.
• Mince garlic, and add to pan.
• Wash, trim and seed whole pepper, and chop. Add to pan after onion has begun to soften.
• Wash, trim and chop zucchini, and add. Cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook spaghetti in boiling water according to package directions.
• Wash crabs, and lightly coat with flour.
• Heat butter in small nonstick pan over medium heat, and brown crabs on both sides, about 3 minutes a side.
• Drain pasta, and arrange on plates. Toss with vegetables, and top with crabs.

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.

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.

CHEZ MARCELLE'S STUFFED SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Cook green onions, garlic, crab and shrimp in white wine about three minutes. Add pimentos, mushrooms, cayenne, white pepper and salt and bread crumbs and cook a minute or two longer. Stir in yolks.
• Chill stuffing for about 1 hour, until firm. Carefully stuff each side cavity of crabs with mixture.
• Season crabs with salt, white pepper and cayenne. Dredge in flour; dip in a mixture of buttermilk and eggs, then in cracker meal, breading each leg individually.
• Heat oil in deep pot to 375 degrees. Deep fry a few crabs at a time until golden brown on both sides.
• Serve crabs with Creolaise sauce. Garnish with lemon and fried parsley.

SPAGHETTI WITH CRABS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until it is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, crushing them by hand as you do so, as well as the parsley and red-pepper flakes. Stir and allow to come to a simmer.
• Turn the heat up to high and add the crabs. When the sauce starts to boil, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes or so. Remove the crabs to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is firm - really al dente. Drain.
• Place the pasta in a large serving bowl or platter and drizzle with olive oil. Pour the crab sauce over the pasta, scatter the basil leaves over the top and season aggressively with black pepper. Serve with crabs on the side and lots of bread.