Soft Shell Crab With Lemon Butter Recipes

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.

SAUTéED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH LEMON-BUTTER PAN SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, season flour with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge crabs in the seasoned flour.
• In a 10-inch stainless steel skillet, melt 4 tablespoons (60g) butter over medium-high heat until foamy. Add crabs, shell-side down, and cook until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes; be careful, as soft-shell crabs sometimes pop in the pan. Flip crabs and cook until crisp and golden on bottom side, about 3 minutes. Transfer crabs to paper towel-lined plates and season lightly with salt.
• Add remaining 4 tablespoons (60g) butter to the skillet and melt until foaming. Lower heat to medium and cook until the butter turns a medium-brown color, about 2 minutes.
• Add capers and cook until lightly crisped, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice, swirl to combine, and remove from heat.
• Stir parsley into pan sauce, season with salt, if needed. Transfer crabs to a serving platter and spoon sauce on top. Serve right away.

SOFT SHELL CRABS, LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preparing the Lemon Butter Sauce: Boil shallots, lemon juice and white wine together until reduced to half. Take pan off heat and whisk in a few bits of butter to emulsify the liquid a bit. Return pan to burner on the lowest heat, whisk in remaining butter a few bits at a time to create a smooth sauce.
• Sprinkle in the salt, whisk, check seasoning, adjust to taste. Strain sauce then evenly pour between individual plates topping with the cooked Soft Shell Crabs.
• Preparing the Soft Shell Crabs: In a bowl large enough to hold the crabs one at a time, whisk together the beaten eggs with the water.
• In another bowl, mix together the Wondra flour, Old Bay, and salt. One at a time, dip crab into egg mixture turning over and coating well before dredging with the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour mixture from crabs then transfer to a baking dish, refrigerate for a half hour to set.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Frying the Soft Shell Crabs: Heat a large saute pan on medium heat, add in the butter swirling to cover the bottom of the pan. Once very hot, set the soft shell crabs into the pan top side down, cook for 3-4 minutes, turn crabs over and cook another 3 minutes. Place pan into oven and finish in the oven for another few minutes.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve straight away.

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.

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.

SHEILA'S SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• In Ziploc bag, add flour and Old Bay seasoning. Seal and shake to mix.
• In bowl, combine eggs and milk.
• Dredge crabs in egg mixture, then add to seasoned flour and shake to coat. Shake off excess when removing from bag.
• Heat 3 T. oil in large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add 3 crabs in a single layer and cook for about 3 minutes, then turn and cook for another 3 minutes. The crabs should be nice and golden brown. (Be careful when cooking, because they sometimes will pop and/or spatter.) Remove crabs to serving dish.
• Heat remaining 3 T. oil in pan, then add the next 3 crabs and repeat cooking instructions.
• Do not clean out pan when crabs are removed, but add butter. Let the butter melt and turn a little brown. Add the capers and the wine. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the lemon juice and the parsley. Cook for about 2 more minutes, or until reduced by about a third. Pour sauce over the crabs and serve.

SOFT-SHELL CRAB WITH LEMON BUTTER

Steps:

• Make the coating: in a shallow dish, stir the all the coating ingredients together.
• Remove the feeler underneath the crab shells on both sides; rinse the crab and dry carefully.
• In a big skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the vegetable oil; add in shallots and saute until lightly softened, about 1 minute.
• Roll the crabs in the flour mixture and place them in the skillet; saute, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side.
• When they have finished cooking and have turned pink, add the lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste and cook another minute or two.
• Make sure the garlic is cooked but not browned; taste for seasoning.
• Transfer the crabs to individual plates and garnish with lemon and parsley; serve immediately.

SOFT-SHELL CRAB WITH LEMON HERB BUTTER AND SPRING VEGETABLE RAGOUT

Steps:

• Clean the crabs and remove the air sacs by lifting the bib on both sides. In a stainless bowl, add the milk and buttermilk and place the crabs in it to coat.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour and salt and pepper, to taste.
• In a non-corrosive pan over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil and gradually whisk in the butter, lowering the heat and whisking constantly until all is incorporated. Keep warm.
• Bring 4 saucepans of salted water to a boil. Blanche the haricots in one, the favas in another, the peas in a third and asparagus in a fourth. When just cooked, strain the vegetables and add each into separate ice water baths. Strain and reserve the haricots, peas and peel the favas, keeping cool. When favas are cooled, peel outer skin and reserve. Cut the asparagus on the bias.
• In a saute pan, add 1 ounce of the butter sauce and over medium heat, add the shallots. Sweat until transparent and add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Saute the scallions (or pearl onions) and radishes until warmed through. They should still be crisp. Add the blanched favas, haricots verts, peas and roasted scallions or pearl onions and cook a few more minutes. Check salt and pepper and add savory. Keep warm.
• Preheat and oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the soft-shell crabs from the milk mixture and shake off excess. Dip into seasoned flour and shake off any excess.
• In a saute pan over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and when hot, add the soft-shells, top down. Saute about 2 minutes until brown and crisp and turn. Place in an oven for 2 to 3 minutes until cooked through. Remove from pan and wipe out, keeping crabs warm. Deglaze with the lemon juice, add the butter sauce, tarragon and chervil; do not boil.
• On 4 warm plates, place about 1/2-cup of the vegetable mixture and 1 soft-shell crab, surround with the butter herb sauce.

PAN-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Combine flour and seafood seasoning in a resealable zip-top bag. Seal and shake to mix. Combine egg and milk in a bowl. Dredge crabs in egg mixture, then add to seasoned flour and shake to coat. Shake off excess when removing from bag.
• Heat olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add crabs in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes; flip and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Remove to a serving dish.
• Mix mayonnaise, chives, pickle juice, mustard, seafood seasoning, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together for remoulade. Serve with crabs.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with paper towels; set aside. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a large shallow dish. Dredge crabs in seasoned flour, tapping off excess; set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and oil to skillet. When butter has melted, add crabs and cook until deep golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer crabs to a prepared baking sheet to drain. Sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

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.