Soft Shell Crabs With Spiced Cucumber Salad Food

SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH SPICED CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Place cucumbers in a colander, toss with salt and set over a bowl to drain. Mix mayonnaise and sriracha, and set aside in a small serving dish.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat in a small skillet and add mustard seeds. When sizzling, add ginger, shallots and chilies. Sauté until shallots soften. Remove from heat, add vinegar and stir. Rinse and drain cucumbers, place in a shallow serving bowl and fold in shallot mixture. Sprinkle with mint.
• In a bowl, lightly beat eggs with 1 tablespoon water. Mix chickpea flour and curry powder, and spread on a plate. Dip crabs in egg, then in flour mixture. Heat remaining oil in a large skillet. Add crabs and sauté over medium-high heat until lightly browned, turning once. You may need two shifts. Remove from pan and arrange on cucumber salad.
• Serve, with red chili mayonnaise on the side, or serve on buns spread with mayonnaise and piled with salad.

SOFT-SHELL CHILI CRABS WITH MANGO NOODLE SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare the crab by cutting away the face (this can taste bitter), slicing just behind the eyes. Next, lift the flap on the underside of the crab and cut this off. Loosen the top "shell" of the body and remove the gills. Rinse the crabs well.
• For the marinade: Mix together the ginger, peanut oil, rice wine, five-spice powder and cayenne in a bowl. Add the crabs, cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 30 minutes.
• Fill a wok halfway with peanut oil. Place over medium-high heat and heat the oil to 350 degrees F, or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 15 seconds and floats to the surface.
• In a shallow bowl, stir together 2 heaping tablespoons sweet potato starch with the beaten eggs (the batter can have some lumps). Remove the crabs from the marinade. Dip the crabs in the batter and then dredge again in the remaining sweet potato starch. Carefully lower the crabs into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Deep-fry until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with the salt and dried chile flakes while they are still hot.
• Serve immediately over Mango Noodle Salad and garnish with the chives and Fresno chiles.
• In a large bowl, toss together the noodles, spinach, chiles and mango and set aside.
• Whisk together the vinegar, chili sauce, fish sauce, lime juice and peanut oil. Taste and adjust flavors if desired. Dress the salad just before serving.

CRAB-CUCUMBER SALAD IN TOMATO CUPS

Steps:

• Gently mix together all ingredients; except tomatoes and chill.
• Serve in tomato cups.
• If you can't make the cups;put salad on a bed of sliced tomatoes.

SOFT SHELL CRABS MIA

Steps:

• Mix everything, except crabs, in a shallow baking dish. Add crabs and cover.
• Marinate in the fridge for 1/2 hour.
• Place crabs on a hot grill.
• Cook for 15 minutes on each side basting and turning often.
• To decrease cooking time, cover grill with large lid to help circulate the heat evenly.
• Crabs are done when they are pink/red and slightly crisp, but still moist.
• Cook time does not include time to marinate.

GRILLED SOFT SHELL CRABS WITH JICAMA SALAD

Steps:

• Combine jicama, cucumber, and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro in a medium bowl. Dress with 4 tablespoons olive oil and 4 tablespoons lime juice. Season with salt, mix well and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine tomatoes, chiles, garlic, onions, avocado and remaining chopped cilantro. Dress with remaining lime juice, season with salt, mix gently and set aside.
• Lightly brush a hot grill or grill pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Brush crabs with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then place on grill and cook until firm, about 2 or more minutes on each side.
• To serve, divide jicama salad and tomato-avocado salsa between four plates. Top each plate with 2 crabs and garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

GRILLED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH OLD BAY TARTAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce: add mayonnaise, peppers, capers, pickles, lemon juice, chives, tarragon, mustard, and Old Bay seasoning to a bowl; whisk to mix.
• Season to taste with black pepper; sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for at least 1 week; bring to room temperature before serving.
• The crabs: melt the butter in a small saucepan over med-high heat.
• Add in garlic, shallot, and Old Bay seasoning; cook until the garlic and shallot have lost their rawness, about 2 minutes; they should be soft and translucent; do not let them brown; set flavored butter aside.
• Set up grill for direct grilling; preheat to high.
• When ready to cook brush and oil the grill grate; brush the crabs on both sides with some of the flavored butter.
• Place the crabs on the hot grate and grill until cooked through, about 2-4 minutes per side, basting with some of the flavored butter.
• When done, the shells will turn bright red.
• Brush the bread slices with the remaining flavored butter and grill them as well, about 1 minute per side.
• To serve: slather the toast with some of the Old Bay Tartar Sauce; place a lettuce leaf, a few tomato slices, and 2 soft-shell crabs on top.
• Serve with the remaining tartar sauce on the side.

CUCUMBER CRAB SALAD

Steps:

• Slice and dry the cucumbers well(remember to slice thin), also drain the crab.
• Heat a small skillet and brush with oil. Add the sesame seeds and toast them, stirring constantly until lightly browned, then grind with a morter and pestle.
• Lightly toss all ingredients together in a bowl and serve.