Sauteed Soft Shelled Crabs On Herbed Toast 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.

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.

CRISP SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean crabs by cutting or pulling off the apron that folds under the rear of the crab. Using scissors, snip off the 'face' just behind the eyes. Clean out the gills located on either side of the crab and rinse under cold water. Pat dry and set aside.
• In a shallow dish, mix together whole egg, yolk, and flour to create a paste. Place 1/2 cup rice flakes in the bowl of a small food processor and process to a coarse powder. Transfer ground rice flakes to a shallow dish along with remaining rice flakes, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir to combine. Lightly brush the top of each crab with the paste mixture and then coat with the rice flake mixture.
• Divide oil between two ovenproof 12-inch skillets and heat over high heat. Add 6 crabs, shell side down, to each skillet and cook until crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn crabs and transfer skillets to oven. Roast crabs until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELLED CRABS ON HERBED TOAST

Steps:

• Trim the crust off the bread, then cut each slice in half.
• Melt four tablespoons of butter in the skillet, add the garlic and saute for one minute. Add the bread and cook until it browns, turn it over and continue to cook until that side browns. Sprinkle the tarragon over the toast and set it on the side.
• Season the flour with salt and pepper. Pat the crab in the flour and shake off any excess flour.
• Add the oil to the skillet and heat. Add the crabs and saute for one and a half minutes, then add an additional four tablespoons of butter, swirling it around as it melts. Cook for an additional one and a half minutes, then flip it over and cook for another three minutes. Remove the crabs to a platter and keep warm.
• Pour off the hot oil and butter from the pan. Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter to the pan. Let the butter melt and just start browning. At this point, squeeze the lemon into the pan. It will bubble and thicken slightly. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Put two pieces of toast on each plate, then place a crab on each. Drizzle the sauce over the crabs and sprinkle on some parsley, then serve immediately.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CAPER BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• 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.

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-SHELLED CRABS MEUNIèRE

Steps:

• Combine milk, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish and soak crabs 5 minutes. Lift 1 crab out of milk, letting excess drip off, and dredge in flour. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a tray. Repeat with remaining crabs, arranging them in 1 layer as coated.
• Heat clarified butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté crabs, upside down, 2 minutes. Turn over and sauté until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Transfer crabs to a serving dish. Add butter pieces to skillet and cook until golden brown with a nutty aroma. Add lemon juice and parsley (mixture will bubble up) and remove from heat.
• Season sauce with salt and pepper and drizzle over crabs.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRAB

Steps:

• 1. Place the milk in a shallow bowl large enough to hold the crabs in a single layer. Add the crabs and let them soak for 1 hour. Drain and discard the milk.
• 2. Season the flour with salt and pepper in a paper or plastic bag. Lightly dredge each crab in the flour.
• 3. Heat the oil and butter together in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and sautè the crabs in batches until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Add more oil and butter to the pan if necessary.
• 4. To serve, place a crab in the center of 4 salad plates and garnish each with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a small dollop of Rèmoulade Sauce.

SOFT-SHELL CRAB TOAST

Steps:

• In a blender, combine parsley, jalapeño, lemon juice and salt. Add oil and 3 tablespoons water. Purée until sauce is smooth, adding additional water if needed, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a thick yet pourable sauce. Transfer sauce to a bowl and add more salt or lemon juice, or both, if needed.
• Heat broiler. Place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Rub toast with cut garlic. Drizzle with oil or slather with butter (butter is nice on pain de mie), remove from pan and set aside.
• Lightly coat crabs with oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer, belly side up, to a large baking sheet (you can use the same one you used for the toast). Broil, turning once, until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes per side.
• Place one crab on top of each toast. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over each crab and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

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:

• To clean the crabs: With a small knife cut off the apron at the rear of the body. Turn the crab and cut off the face at the point just behind the eyes. Lift each point of the crab at the sides and with your fingers clean out the feathery gills. Wash under cold water.
• Toast almonds until golden.
• Season flour with salt and pepper and dredge crabs lightly in flour. heat butter and oil in 1 or 2 skillets large enough to hold the crabs in a single layer and saute about 3 minutes on each side, until golden. Top with almonds and serve with lemon wedges.