The Softie Soft Shell Crab Pizza Recipes

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.

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.

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.

TEMPURA OF SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Lay crabs backside down on a cutting board, and cut in half lengthwise, so that each half has a claw.
• Stir about 1 1/4 cups water into the flour to make a smooth, thick batter. Add baking soda and ice cubes.
• Pour enough oil into a deep pot to fill it halfway, and heat to 375 degrees. (To test, carefully sprinkle a drop or two of water into the pot. If the oil rumbles, it's not hot enough. If it crackles, it is.)
• Dip crab pieces, four at a time, into batter, and immediately drop into hot oil. Stir after several seconds to separate the pieces, then cook until golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining crab pieces. Salt to taste, and serve immediately.

SOFT-SHELL CRAB POOR-BOY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Split bread in half and remove some of the soft white crumb with your fingers. Toast bread lightly in oven, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Beat egg and milk together in a bowl; combine the cornmeal, flour, cayenne and a large pinch of salt on a plate. Put about 1/4-inch of oil in a deep skillet broad enough to accommodate crabs, and turn heat to medium. When oil is hot -- a pinch of flour will sizzle -- dip crabs in milk-egg mixture, then dredge in the cornmeal-flour mixture. Put in skillet; adjust heat so crabs bubble gently but not furiously in oil.
• When bottom is nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes, turn crabs and brown other side; crabs will be quite firm when done.
• Serve on toasted bread, garnished as you like.

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.