Soft Shell Crabs With Corn Recipes

SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CORN

Steps:

• Chop onion. Heat nonstick pan until it is very hot; reduce heat, and spray with pan spray. Add onion, and saute until it begins to soften.
• Meanwhile, mince garlic in food processor. Rinse peppers, add to food processor with soy sauce, and puree.
• Scrape corn from the cob, and add to onion with the cumin; cook 2 minutes. Add wine, and cook briefly.
• Wash and julienne basil, and stir in with salt and pepper. Remove from pan, and set aside. Clean pan.
• Wash crabs, and coat with flour already seasoned with black pepper.
• Heat the oil in the same pan; add the crabs, and saute on both sides, a total of about 5 minutes.
• Combine the peppers with onion-corn mixture, and serve with crabs.

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.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CORN AND ONION SAUCE

Steps:

• Place a couple of inches of water in pot, and bring to boil.
• Shuck corn, and steam it over the boiling water for about 2 minutes, until tender. Remove and cool.
• Chop onion. Heat nonstick skillet; reduce heat to medium-high and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Saute onion until it softens and begins to brown.
• Meanwhile, scrape kernels and puree in food processor with milk.
• Rinse red pepper, and chop. Rinse crabs; dry on paper towels.
• When onion is soft, stir in corn puree and red pepper. Mix well. Heat through; season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan, and set aside. Keep warm.
• Heat remaining oil until it is very hot. Saute crabs until they brown and redden a little on both sides, about 5 minutes total.
• Cut lemon into wedges. To serve, top crabs with corn puree and, if desired, sprinkle with lemon juice.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED SOFT-SHELLED CRABS WITH CILANTRO-LIME TARTAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, salt, and pepper and pour into a 3-quart shallow dish. Add crabs and soak, covered and chilled, 1 hour.
• Heat enough oil to measure 2 inches deep in a wide 4-quart heavy pot (about 4 inches deep) to 375°F.
• Whisk together flour and cornmeal and transfer to a large sealable plastic bag. Lift 1 crab out of buttermilk, letting excess drip off, and shake in bag to coat with flour. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a tray. Repeat with remaining crabs, arranging them in 1 layer as coated.
• Deep-fry crabs, 2 at a time, turning over halfway through frying (watch out for popping), until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Return oil to 375°F between batches. Drain crabs on paper towels and serve with tartar sauce.

YELLOW CORN-COATED SOFTSHELL CRABS WITH RED-CHILE MUSTARD SAUCE SERVED ON WATERCRESS

Steps:

• For the Sauce: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add pasilla and ancho chile powders and cook for 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until almost dry. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the mustard and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• For the Crabs: Place the flour, cornmeal and eggs in separate bowls and season each with salt and pepper to taste. Dredge each crab in flour, shake off any excess and dip into beaten eggs, covering completely. Dredge in cornmeal. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat until it begins to smoke. Saute 4 crabs at a time until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter lined with paper towels. Wipe out the pan each time with a clean cloth or paper towel. Place watercress in a bowl and toss with vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange dressed watercress on a large platter, place crabs on top. Serve with Red Chile-Mustard Sauce.

YELLOW CORN-COATED SOFTSHELL CRABS WITH RED-CHILE MUSTARD SAUCE SERVED ON WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add pasilla and ancho chile powders and cook for 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until almost dry. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the mustard and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Place the flour, cornmeal and eggs in separate bowls and season each with salt and pepper to taste. Dredge each crab in flour, shake off any excess and dip into beaten eggs, covering completely. Dredge in cornmeal. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat until it begins to smoke. Saute 4 crabs at a time until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter lined with paper towels. Wipe out the pan each time with a clean cloth or paper towel. Place watercress in a bowl and toss with vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange dressed watercress on a large platter, place crabs on top. Serve with Red Chile-Mustard Sauce.