Soft Shell Crabs With Corn And Onion Sauce Recipes

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.

SOFT SHELL CRAB WITH TEMPURA BATTER AND DIPPING SAUCES

Steps:

• For Tempura Batter: Whisk together ingredients. Can be used for up to 1 hour. Keep cold!
• For Crabs: Heat 1/4-inch of corn or peanut oil in a heavy skillet until very hot but not smoking. Fry the crabs in batches for about 2 minutes on the first side, then turn and fry for another minute. The crust should be golden. Be prepared the crabs will split when you fry them; a splatter screen will come in handy.
• Drain on paper towels and serve with dipping sauces.
• For Balsamic Syrup: Put all ingredients together and reduce over medium heat, down to 1/4 of its liquid. Strain and discard onion.
• For Red Pepper Syrup: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Reduce down to 3/4 of a cup. Thicken with the arrowroot.
• For Wasabi Cream: Dissolve Wasabi in water. Whisk in creme fraiche and lemon juice. Season with salt.

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 RELISH, FIELD GREENS AND ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a deep saucepan, heat peanut oil to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, pepper, fennel and salt. Whisk in club soda and egg whites to form a smooth batter. Dip soft shell crabs in batter and fry in batches until golden brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
• Serve crabs with Corn Relish. Drizzle with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and garnish with a pile of greens.
• Steam corn kernels until crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes, set aside. Cut the kernels from the cob into a mixing bowl.
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and mushrooms, cook until mushrooms give off their liquid and start to brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add red pepper, jalapeno and green onion. Cook just until scallions wilt, about 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil. Stir in corn mixture and cook until corn is heated through.
• Combine pepper puree, shallots, and vinegar in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer until shallots are tender. Add cream and stir to combine. Add lemon juice and whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time, until sauce is smooth and thickened. Season with salt, to taste.

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.

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.

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.