Soft Shell Crabs: SIX Different Ways
SOFT SHELL CRAB TEMPURA
Ingredients
1/2 cup AP Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup cornstarch + extra for dusting
10 fl oz club soda
Directions
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly
Slowly add the club soda until fully incorporated
Tempura works best when VERY COLD and used immediately after mixing. Keep in fridge; make sure club soda is ICE COLD
When frying, dust soft shell crabs with extra corn starch. Dunk into tempura and fry @ 350 degrees for 4+ mins.
During the frying process, keep the tempura in the fridge, or place in an ice bath.
SOFT SHELL CRAB SANDWICHES
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 Tablespoons plus ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, divided
1 Tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
1 chile pepper, thinly sliced
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cups olive oil (for frying)
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
1¼ cups breadcrumbs
4 soft shell crabs, cleaned
4 sandwich buns, warmed
DIRECTIONS
For the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard, and ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning. Set aside.
For the slaw: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar and 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard. Add the cabbage, chile pepper, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.
For the crab: Pour oil into a skillet, ½ inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat until hot.
In a shallow bowl, whisk flour, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning in one shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the beaten eggs in a second shallow bowl.
In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs, remaining Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Dip the soft shell crabs first in the flour mixture (shaking off the excess), second in the egg, and then in the breadcrumb mixture.
Place the crabs in the skillet, shell down. Cook on medium-high heat until golden brown (about four minutes per side).
Transfer the finished crab to the paper towel-covered plate and season with salt.
On warmed sandwich buns, put slaw on bottom, followed by the fried soft shell crab, and drizzle with sauce.
GRILLED SOFT SHELL CRABS
INGREDIENTS
6 soft shell crabs, cleaned
¼ cup olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the grill to medium-high, keeping the lid closed.
Brush the soft shell crabs with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the crabs on the grill. Replace the lid and cook for about 7 minutes (the crabs' shells will turn orange when finished cooking). While cooking, turn the crabs and brush them with olive oil every few minutes.
Serve hot and enjoy!
CHEF PAUL RODRIGUEZ'S SOFT SHELL CRAB RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
1 dozen soft shell crabs
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups Drake’s flour or all purpose flour seasoned with salt & pepper
DIRECTIONS
Clean the crab and remove the face behind the eyes using kitchen shears.
Soak the crab for at least 1 hour in buttermilk.
Coat with Drake’s flour or all purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
Deep fry 5 minutes until golden brown. Or pan fry approximately 8-10 minutes.
Serve over creamy polenta or with coleslaw and grilled vegetables on the side.
Crispy Soft-Shell Crabs with Bangalore-Style Dipping Sauce
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons beef stock or low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 large shallot, very thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 to 3 serrano chiles, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced crosswise
2 large egg whites
8 jumbo soft-shell crabs, cleaned and patted dry
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the beef stock, lime juice, sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Add the shallot, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Stir in the cilantro and chiles.
In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the crabs and turn to coat. In another bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, white pepper, salt and cayenne.
In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil until 375°. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet. Dredge 2 or 3 of the crabs at a time in the flour mixture and add them to the hot oil. Fry over high heat, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer the crabs to the rack. Transfer the crabs to a platter and serve with the dipping sauce.
SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CAPER BROWN BUTTER
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium soft-shell crabs, cleaned and rinsed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 lemon, juiced
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Lemon wedges, for serving
DIRECTIONS
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.