Soft Shell Crabs Sauteed In Brown Butter Recipes

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 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.

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.

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.

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 CRABS WITH GARLIC 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.
• Emeril garnishes with a dusting of Emerile Essence.

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.

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.

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.