Sauteed Soft Shell Crabs With Caper Brown Butter Recipes

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.

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.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS SAUTEED IN BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine the milk and Tabasco in a bowl. Mix the mustard powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper, salt, sugar and flour in a shallow pan. Dip the crabs in the milk and dredge in flour mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until bubbling. Place the crabs in the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Turn and cook until tender, about 2 more minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Add 1/2 cup lemon juice to pan and cook over high heat until it glazes the pan. Stir in remaining butter and cook over medium heat until brown, about 5 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Take the pan off the heat. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, pour over crabs and serve.

SOFT-SHELL CRAB BLTS

Steps:

• Stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, lemon juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning, until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and break the slices in half.
• Whisk the flour and 1 tablespoon Old Bay in a shallow bowl. Season the crabs with salt and pepper, then dip the crabs in the seasoned flour to coat on both sides.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until foamy. Immediately add the crabs and cook, turning, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with more Old Bay.
• Assemble the sandwiches: Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on 4 slices of toast. Top each with lettuce, tomato, some bacon and a crab. Spread the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the 4 other slices of toast and place on top of the sandwiches. Gently press down on each sandwich and cut in half. Serve with pickles.

PASTA WITH SOFT SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• In a very deep skillet or broad saucepan, warm oil, garlic, and chile flakes over low heat; do not let garlic brown. When garlic is soft, at least 5 minutes, add crabs (keep heat low to medium low; liquid in pan should barely bubble) and cover. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
• Let the crabs cook until they give up all their liquid and become firm, about 15 minutes. When crabs are almost done, begin cooking pasta. When crabs are done, use tongs to remove them and hold them while cutting up with scissors. Return to pan.
• Drain pasta when it is barely tender, a little short of how you'd want to eat it, reserving some cooking water. Add pasta to crabs and toss together over medium heat with pan juices and black pepper, adding some cooking water and a little more oil if necessary. (The amount of each will depend on how much more cooking the pasta needs, and how much liquid the crabs exuded.) Add parsley, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. When pasta is perfectly cooked, serve.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS SAUTéED IN BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine the milk and Tabasco in a bowl. Mix the mustard powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper, salt, sugar and flour in a shallow pan. Dip the crabs in the milk and dredge in flour mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until bubbling. Place the crabs in the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Turn and cook until tender, about 2 more minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Add 1/2 cup lemon juice to pan and cook over high heat until it glazes the pan. Stir in remaining butter and cook over medium heat until brown, about 5 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Take the pan off the heat. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, pour over crabs and serve.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CURRY BUTTER

Steps:

• Make the curry butter: Put the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cloves in a dry skillet over medium heat. When spices are lightly toasted and fragrant, after a minute or so, grind them to a powder in a mortar or electric spice mill. Add nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne and turmeric.
• Put butter in a bowl. Add spices, garlic, ginger, salt and lime zest and juice. Mash seasonings into butter with a wooden spoon. Add crushed almonds and scallions, then mix until well incorporated. (May be prepared several hours ahead, or up to 1 day in advance.)
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons curry butter, let melt and swirl pan to distribute. Dust crabs lightly with rice flour, if using. When butter is foamy, add crabs in one layer and raise heat. Let crabs cook 3 minutes, then turn, using tongs, and cook 3 minutes on the other side. (Be careful, as crabs may spatter.) Remove crabs and keep warm.
• Add 4 tablespoons curry butter to pan and let sizzle. Add pea shoots and cook briefly until wilted, 1 minute or less.
• Arrange crabs on a warm platter or individual plates. Garnish with wilted pea shoots and lime wedges. Spoon melted curry butter from pan over crabs and serve at once.

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.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH GARLIC AND BUTTER RECIPE

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. This recipe yields 3 appetizer servings.

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.

SAUTEED SOFTSHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place flour on a plate, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge soft-shell crabs in flour, shaking off excess. When the skillet is hot, add half the butter and canola oil to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Add four crabs, backside down, being careful to avoid spattering. When they brown lightly, turn, and finish cooking on the other side, until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes total, depending on the size of the crabs. Drain on paper towels, and repeat with remaining crabs, adding more butter or oil to pan if needed.
• In a small bowl, stir together remaining clarified butter and lemon juice. Drizzle over crabs, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and add shallot and garlic. Cook gently for about two minutes, or until translucent. Add the tomatoes and stir until the juices are released.
• Turn up the heat and cook until the tomatoes are somewhat dry.
• Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
• Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, a few cubes at a time. Adjust seasoning and stir in the parsley and basil. Add lemon if necessary. Keep the sauce warm (do not overheat or it may curdle).
• Prepare the leeks. Remove the green part and cut the leeks in julienne. Wash and dry them thoroughly. Heat the peanut oil in a deep fryer and fry the leeks until light golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and salt lightly. Set aside.
• Prepare the crabs. Dip the crabs in milk, then in seasoned flour. Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet and saute the crabs, starting with the shell side down first, for two minutes. Turn over and saute for one-and-a-half to two minutes on the other side. Drain of paper towels.
• Serve the crabs on heated plates. If serving two crabs person, spread tomato butter on each plate and place the crabs in a V shape, with the legs facing each other. Mound the fried leeks in the middle of the V and garnish with parsley or basil leaves. If serving three crabs, arrange them in a triangle and mound the the leeks in the center. Garnish.