Crispy Soft Shell Crabs With Pistou And Soft Fried Eggs Recipes

MARYLAND FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Wash and clean crabs by cutting off the face just behind the eyes. Lift top of shell and remove the spongy fingers. If the crab is a female (identified by striped markings), remove the back or apron. Rinse and dry.
• Season flour with salt and pepper and mix in baking powder. Dredge crabs in mixture.
• Pour oil into skillet to depth of 1 inch. Heat to 375 degrees. Cook crabs on both sides until brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce, if desired.

CRUNCHY SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Soak crabs in a bowl of buttermilk.
• In a deep fryer or saucepan, heat 4 inches of oil to 375 degrees.
• Whisk together cornmeal and flour, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove crabs from buttermilk, letting excess drip back into bowl. Coat crabs evenly in the cornmeal mixture. Working in batches, fry until golden brown and crisp all over, turning if needed, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. While warm, season with salt. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

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.

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.

CRISPY SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH PISTOU AND SOFT FRIED EGGS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together benne seeds, beer, and flour until well combined; season with a pinch of salt. Transfer batter to refrigerator and let chill for 30 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add morels and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Add ramps, peas, and vegetable stock; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until ramps are wilted and peas are bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Meanwhile, fill a large Dutch oven 5 inches high with canola oil. Heat oil over high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
• Remove batter from refrigerator and dredge each crab in batter, shaking off excess. Transfer crabs to hot oil and cover Dutch oven with a splatter guard (crabs will sizzle and pop while cooking). Cook, turning once, until crabs are golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer crabs to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
• Place a tablespoon of butter in each of 2 medium nonstick skillets; heat skillets over medium heat until butter is frothy. Reduce heat to low and crack an egg into each skillet; cook, basting whites with butter using a spoon, until whites are set but yolks are still runny. Season with salt and pepper. Remove eggs from skillets and repeat process with remaining 2 eggs.
• Divide pistou evenly among 4 serving plates. Place a crab on each plate and top each with an egg. Divide morels, ramps, and peas evenly among plates; garnish each with a pea shoot and benne seeds. Serve immediately.