Best Crispy Soft Shelled Crabs With Bean Salad Recipes

CRISPY SOFT SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Soak the crabs in milk for 30 minutes. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, ginger, paprika and garlic powder in a bag; dredge crabs in the mixture.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the crabs until golden-brown, 5 minutes per side.
• Spread buns with mayonnaise; top each with a crab. Dollop with coleslaw, if desired. Serve immediately.

CRISPY SOFT-SHELLED CRABS WITH BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath with lightly salted water. Add salt to boiling water, return to a boil, and add beans or peas. Cook until just tender but still crunchy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer to prepared ice-water bath to cool; drain.
• Place tomatoes and beans or peas in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add basil and toss to combine.
• In a shallow bowl, beat together milk and eggs. In another shallow bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Dip each crab in milk mixture to coat, and then dredge completely in flour mixture.
• Set a wire rack over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Season crabs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, fry crabs until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to prepared wire rack. Continue frying until all crabs have been cooked.
• Drizzle salad with olive oil; toss to combine. Divide salad evenly between 4 plates and top each with 2 fried crabs. Serve immediately with garlic mayonnaise.

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 GINGER AND BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim off the outer thin feeler claws of the crabs. Cut the crabs in half crosswise through the center.
• Put 1/2 cup of the cornstarch in a dish and dip the cut part of each crab half in it. Shake off excess.
• Combine ginger, shredded lemon rind and red pepper. Set aside.
• Combine garlic, black beans and wine and set aside. Blend broth with minced lemon peel, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Set aside.
• Heat fat for deep frying and when it is almost but not smoking, add half of the crab halves. Cook about three and one-half to five minutes or until red and crisp. Transfer to a sieve and drain. Cook the remaining crab halves. Drain.
• Heat remaining one-quarter cup oil in clean skillet or wok. When hot add ginger mixture and cook about 10 minutes. Add black bean mixture and cook, stirring, about 20 seconds. Add broth mixture and bring to a boil.
• Blend remaining cornstarch with water and stir it in. When thickened pour sauce over crabs. Garnish with coriander sprigs and serve.

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 WITH BLACK-BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the milk and Tabasco in a bowl. Set aside. Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow pan. Dip the crabs in the milk and dredge in flour mixture. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Place the crabs in the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Turn and cook until tender, about 2 more minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Drain the fat from the pan. Return the skillet to the stove. Pour in the white wine, black-bean sauce, hoisin sauce, chili paste and ginger. Turn the heat up to medium-high and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour sauce over crabs. Sprinkle scallions on top. Serve immediately.