Soft Shell Crabs With Almonds Recipes

ALMOND CRUSTED SOFT-SHELL CRAB, WITH A FENNEL AND ARTICHOKE SALAD WITH ROASTED ALMOND PUREE

Steps:

• Peel the oranges, leaving no pith, and segment ("V" cut between the membranes). Cut the segments into a small dice. Reserve the juice for the vinaigrette.
• Peel the carrot and shave on a mandoline with the julienne attachment.
• Peel off the outer leaves of the artichoke. Peel the skin at the base. Cut the top of the artichoke where the leaves start. Remove the choke. Cut into 4 wedges. Juice half the lemon in a quart of water and add to a saucepot. Add the cleaned artichoke and simmer until tender. Refresh in cold water and reserve.
• Peel the fennel and shave on a mandolin. Hold in acidulated water (water to cover with the other half of the lemon squeezed into it) until ready to use.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees F.
• Trim the bottom flap, eyes, and lungs of the crabs with a pair of kitchen scissors. Reserve.
• Submerge the crabs in the Tempura Batter. Sprinkle the top with the almonds. Deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
• Add the salad to a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and 1/2 of the vinaigrette. Arrange in the center of a plate. Arrange the crabs atop. Make 5 pools of the almond puree around the salad. Add the diced blood oranges to the remaining vinaigrette and drizzle around.
• Put the rice flour, salt, and pepper into a mixing bowl and form a well in the center. Add the egg yolk and water to the center of the bowl all at once. Whisk, starting from the center slowly moving outward, incorporating the dry ingredients. Stop mixing when just incorporated. Reserve until ready to use in a cold place.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Toast the almonds on a cookie sheet until golden brown. Add the butter to a saucepot and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown. Remove from the heat and add the vinegar, juice, salt, pepper, and nuts. Reserve.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Toast the almonds on a cookie sheet until golden brown. Add to a saucepot along with the chicken stock and simmer until the nuts are tender. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Pass through fine strainer. Put in a squirt bottle. Reserve warm until ready to use.

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.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH SHRIMP AMANDINE

Steps:

• Place the crabs right side up on a cutting board. Cut off the protruding eyes with a knife. Turn each crab on its back. Remove the triangular shaped apron. Lift the flap on each side, and remove the spongy gill tissue underneath. Rinse the crabs with cold water, and pat them dry with paper towels.
• Place one shrimp in each pocket where the gills were removed.
• Place the crabs in a low dish and add the milk, Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste. Blend well; turn the crabs to coat them with the milk mixture. Drain.
• Place the flour on a flat dish, and carefully dredge the crabs in flour. Shake, and remove any excess.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet that will hold the crabs in one layer. Add the crabs. Cook on one side over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the crabs are golden brown. Turn, and cook on the other side until golden brown. The total cooking time should be about 7 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness. Transfer the crabs to a warm serving plate, and keep warm.
• Pour off the fat from the skillet, and wipe it clean with paper towels. Add the butter, and when melted, add the sliced almonds. Cook, shaking, until the almonds become lightly browned. Add the lemon juice, blend well by shaking the pan, and pour over the crabs. Sprinkle with the 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.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH ALMONDS

Steps:

• In flat dish, combine the milk, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Blend well. Add the crabs, turning them over to coat well with the milk.
• Place the flour in a flat dish and remove the crabs from the milk. Dredge them in the flour. Shake to remove any excess flour.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet. Place six crabs in the pan and cook them over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned on one side. Turn and cook until golden brown on the other side. The total cooking time is about 6 or 7 minutes depending on the thickness. Transfer to a warm serving platter and keep warm. Add remaining vegetable oil to pan and repeat the procedure with the other crabs.
• Pour off the fat from the skillet and wipe it clean with paper towels. Add the butter and olive oil, add the shallots and sliced almonds and cook until lightly browned, shaking the pan. When the oil is bubbling, add the lemon juice and pour the mixture over the crabs. Sprinkle with parsley.