Soft Shell Crabs Namban Recipes

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.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS ''NAMBAN''

Steps:

• Make the marinade. Combine sake, ponzu, soy sauce, ginger, chili and garlic.
• Dry the crabs. Heat the oils to 180 degrees in a large skillet or wok. Dredge the crabs with a minimum amount of flour. Saute in the oil for two to three minutes on each side.
• Put the crabs and red onion in the marinade and let them sit for one to two hours. To serve, remove the crabs from the marinade, quarter them and if you like, place the flying fish roe on top to garnish.

PAN-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Combine flour and seafood seasoning in a resealable zip-top bag. Seal and shake to mix. Combine egg and milk in a bowl. Dredge crabs in egg mixture, then add to seasoned flour and shake to coat. Shake off excess when removing from bag.
• Heat olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add crabs in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes; flip and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Remove to a serving dish.
• Mix mayonnaise, chives, pickle juice, mustard, seafood seasoning, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together for remoulade. Serve with crabs.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with paper towels; set aside. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a large shallow dish. Dredge crabs in seasoned flour, tapping off excess; set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and oil to skillet. When butter has melted, add crabs and cook until deep golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer crabs to a prepared baking sheet to drain. Sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH SALTY TOMATO BUTTER

Steps:

• Fill a large skillet with enough canola oil to cover the bottom and place over medium-high heat until sizzling hot (see Know-how, page 100). Combine the flour and cornmeal in a shallow bowl or plastic bag, season with salt and black pepper to taste and cayenne, and stir or shake to mix. Place the buttermilk and hot sauce in a shallow bowl and stir to combine. One at a time, dust the crabs lightly on both sides with the flour mixture or shake in the bag, then dip into the buttermilk mixture and back into the flour mixture to coat evenly, shaking off any excess flour.
• Place the crabs in the hot oil and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. Line a platter with a brown paper bag.
• Remove from the skillet, drain on the platter, and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm topped with slices of Salty Tomato Butter and lemon wedges to squeeze over the crab.
• Place the butter, tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined and blended, stopping to scrape down the the bowl several times as you go. Transfer the mixture to a piece of wax paper, roll it into a log 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour, or for up to 1 week. Slice into thin rounds as needed.
• For a more traditional preparation, serve the crabs with Horseradish Remoulade (page 117), Herb Tartar Sauce (page 100), or Spicy Cocktail Sauce (page 283) in place of the Salty Tomato Butter.
• Soft-shell crabs are a seasonal specialty and point of pride on the Outer Banks, and I fell in love with them. My friend Della took me to the little town of Manteo, North Carolina, to go soft-shell crabbing. It was such an adventure! We got on the boat before sunrise and headed out to sea, where the crabbers located their big metal traps and pulled up the crabs. Back on shore, they dusted the freshly caught crabs in cornmeal, sautéed them in a little oil and butter, and served them to us with lemon wedges. I was blown away by the simple preparation and amazing flavors-the brine of the seawater and the sweetness of the crabmeat were incredible together.
• I think people often assume that soft-shell crabs are a separate variety; actually, they are blue crabs that are caught and eaten just after they molt their hard outer shells, so the entire crustacean, "soft shell" and all, is edible. During soft-shell season, usually May and June, "busters"-crabs that are in the process of molting-seek refuge in protected areas and begin taking in lots of water so their bodies swell up and eventually crack open their outer shells. The males are called jimmies, and the females are she-crabs, sooks, or sallies, depending on how fully developed they are. The window of time for harvesting individual soft-shell crabs is very short; there is about a four-day period between the time a blue crab sheds its outer shell and the soft shell beneath it begins to harden.

CRISPY SOFT SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• To make the succotash, combine the butter and oil in a large sauté pan over high heat and cook until the butter is melted and begins to sizzle. Add the onion and red pepper and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the corn and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the black-eyed peas, lima beans, and tomato, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the tomato softens slightly and the peas and beans are heated through, about 4 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest, green onions, and parsley. Keep warm.
• To cook the soft shell crabs, put the flour in a large shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pat the crabs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Dredge 2 of the crabs on both sides in the flour and tap off the excess. Place the crabs in the pan, upside down, and cook on each side until golden brown and just cooked through, about 7 minutes total. Wipe the pan out with paper towels and repeat with the remaining oil and crabs. Place 2 crabs on each of 4 plates and tent loosely to keep warm.
• Wipe out the pan with paper towels and return to the stove over medium heat. Add the butter and cook until it begins to turn a medium brown color, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, immediately add the lemon zest and juice and dill, and season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the sauce over the soft shell crabs and serve the succotash on the side.

SOFT SHELL CRABS MIA

Steps:

• Mix everything, except crabs, in a shallow baking dish. Add crabs and cover.
• Marinate in the fridge for 1/2 hour.
• Place crabs on a hot grill.
• Cook for 15 minutes on each side basting and turning often.
• To decrease cooking time, cover grill with large lid to help circulate the heat evenly.
• Crabs are done when they are pink/red and slightly crisp, but still moist.
• Cook time does not include time to marinate.