Classic Soft Shell Crabs Recipes

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.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH GARLIC AND BUTTER

Steps:

• Season crabs with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. Set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and saute the crabs until soft, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the crabs and set aside. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add the capers and white wine. Cook until wine has reduced to about 1/2. Swirl in the butter and the chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer crabs to a plate, spoon sauce over the crabs and garnish with Essence.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRAB

Steps:

• 1. Place the milk in a shallow bowl large enough to hold the crabs in a single layer. Add the crabs and let them soak for 1 hour. Drain and discard the milk.
• 2. Season the flour with salt and pepper in a paper or plastic bag. Lightly dredge each crab in the flour.
• 3. Heat the oil and butter together in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and sautè the crabs in batches until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Add more oil and butter to the pan if necessary.
• 4. To serve, place a crab in the center of 4 salad plates and garnish each with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a small dollop of Rèmoulade Sauce.

FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRAB

Steps:

• Clean each crab. Lift one pointed side of top shell and remove the gills by pulling them out. Put top shell back down and repeat on other side. On the bottom side remove tail flap by twisting and pulling off. Using a pair of scissors, remove the face by cutting behind the eyes. Rinse the crabs thoroughly with cold water. Dry on paper towels.
• Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees F). In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk using a fork. In a separate bowl, stir salt and pepper into the flour. Lightly salt the crab, then dip in the flour, dip in the egg, then in the flour again.
• Carefully place crabs into the deep-fryer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Carefully turn over, and cook until golden on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve as soon as they are cool enough to eat. You can eat the whole crab.

CLASSIC SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Place the milk in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the crabs and let soak for 5 minutes. Place the flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil and clarified butter in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Lift the crabs out of the milk, one at a time, letting the excess drip off, and dredge in the seasoned flour.
• Add the crabs, without crowding, to the skillet and saute, in batches, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the crabs to a warm platter. Discard the oil from the skillet.
• To make the sauce, return the skillet to the heat, add the butter pieces, and cook until golden brown. Add the lemon juice and parsley and remove from the heat. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and drizzle over the crabs.
• Clarified butter has a higher smoke point than regular butter and can be used to cook at higher temperatures. (The smoke point is the temperature at which oil or fat starts to smoke and break down.) When clarified, butter loses about one fourth of its original volume. To clarify butter, cut unsalted butter into 1-inch pieces and melt over low heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. It will begin to sizzle as the water evaporates. When the butter stops sizzling, the water has evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat and let the butter stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a spoon, skim the froth off the top and discard. Slowly pour the molten butter into a measuring cup, leaving the milky solids in the bottom of the pan. Discard the milky solids. Pour the clarified butter into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.