Best Eastern Shore Soft Crabs Recipes

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MARYLAND SOFT CRAB SANDWICH



Maryland Soft Crab Sandwich image

As a boy, we lived a block away from the Chesapeake Bay. During the summer, my mother would send me out for fresh soft crabs from out of the grasses growing in the near by creek. This is how she made these delicious sandwiches. I still make them this way.

Provided by Maryland Jim

Categories     Lunch/Snacks

Time 15m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

8 soft shelled crabs, cleaned (see note below)
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons butter
16 slices white bread
tomatoes, slices
mayonnaise
lettuce

Steps:

  • To clean soft crabs, flip up the pointed ends of the crab and remove the gills (or as we called them, the devil) and just cut away the eyes. Rinse in cold water.
  • Salt and pepper each crab. Dredge in flour.
  • Heat butter in frying pan until hot and just smoking. Place two crabs in the butter at a time. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove to paper towel.
  • To make sandwich, place two crabs on a slice of white bread, add lettuce and tomato. Add mayonnaise to second slice of bread, salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 492.6, Fat 12.7, SaturatedFat 6.3, Cholesterol 55.7, Sodium 866, Carbohydrate 74.5, Fiber 3.2, Sugar 4.4, Protein 18.5

PAN-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS



Pan-Fried Soft-Shell Crabs image

Ask your fishmonger to clean soft-shell crabs for you. Crabs should be cooked no more than six hours after they are cleaned.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Seafood Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
12 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
3 lemons, cut in half

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.

CHESAPEAKE OYSTER STEW, CRISPY SOFT SHELL CRAB, MARYLAND JUMBO LUMP CRAB IMPERIAL EASTERN SHORE SWEET CORN PUDDING



Chesapeake Oyster Stew, Crispy Soft Shell Crab, Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial Eastern Shore Sweet Corn Pudding image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h55m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 50

Oil
6 jumbo Maryland soft shell crabs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup masa (also known as corn flour, which is available in your local supermarket)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon sherry
1/2 lemon, juiced
Hot sauce, to taste
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound jumbo lump Maryland crabmeat
1/2 tablespoon chopped chives
1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 ear Maryland Eastern Shore sweet corn
1 teaspoon butter
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
12 ounces heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon butter
2 ounces country ham, diced small
1 ear Maryland Eastern Shore sweet corn, kernels removed
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 leek, chopped
6 ounces vermouth
1 cup oyster liquor (juice from the oysters) or substitute bottled clam juice
1 quart heavy cream
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
Hot sauce, to taste
18 Chesapeake oysters, shucked (may be purchased shucked and ready to go), reserve liquid
1 teaspoon chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
Chives, for garnish, optional
Corn shoots, for garnish, optional

Steps:

  • For the Soft Shell Crab: Either preheat fryer, or a Dutch oven filled halfway with oil, to 250 degrees F. Clean crabs and cover with milk and buttermilk. Place in refrigerator until chilled, about 10 minutes. Mix together flours and seasonings. Remove crabs from milk and drain excess. Dip into seasoned flour and shake off excess. Carefully lower into preheated oil. Fry for approximately 3 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Remove from hot oil, drain, hold for final assembly.
  • Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial:
  • In a small saute pan, melt butter and whisk in flour to form a light roux. Cook roux briefly and stir in milk and cream. Keep stirring and bring to a boil. Add sherry, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, seafood seasoning and salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat, chill slightly, and fold in Maryland jumbo lump crabmeat, chives, parsley, and mayonnaise. Reserve for final assembly.
  • Eastern Shore Sweet Corn Pudding: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cut kernels off of cob and scrape cob with the back of a knife to remove the "milk". Chop the cob into pieces. Heat butter in a saute pan and add shallots, garlic, corn, and cob. Saute briefly for 1 minute. Add seafood seasoning, sugar and salt and pepper, to taste and saute for an additional minute. Add cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let mixture steep for a few minutes. Discard cob pieces and puree corn/crab mixture. Add 1/2 cup of heated mixture to the eggs and whisk continuously. Then whisk egg mixture back into heated liquid, also known as tempering. Strain and pour mix into 6 greased ramekins. Bake in preheated oven in a water bath until pudding sets, about 25 minutes. Remove from water and reserve warm for final assembly.
  • Chesapeake Oyster Stew: Heat butter in a saucepan and add ham, corn kernels, shallot, garlic, and leek. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add vermouth and oyster liquor (or bottled clam juice). Reduce by half and add cream. Turn down heat and simmer until slightly thickened. Add seasonings and taste. Turn off heat and add oysters and herbs. Reserve for final assembly.
  • Final Assembly: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Carefully lift the top shell off the soft shell crabs and stuff with Maryland Crab Imperial. Bake in preheated oven for a few minutes while completing the dish. Place warm Eastern Shore Sweet Corn Pudding in a shallow heated bowl. Ladle Chesapeake Oyster Stew in bowl around the pudding with 3 Chesapeake oysters per serving. Carefully place Maryland Soft Shell Crab on the pudding. Garnish with chives and corn shoots from your local Maryland farmers market, if using!

EASTERN SHORE CRAB CAKES



Eastern Shore Crab Cakes image

In Delaware, we're surrounded by an abundance of fresh seafood, particularly terrific crab. The secret to great crab cakes is fresh crab meat, not too much filler and not breaking up the crab too much. This recipe does all that. -Cynthia Bent, Newark, Delaware

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 25m

Yield 3 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat
2 tablespoons canola oil

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, seafood seasoning, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Fold in crab. Shape into six patties., In a large skillet, cook crab cakes in oil for 4-5 minutes on each side or until browned.,

Nutrition Facts : Calories 599 calories, Fat 44g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 235mg cholesterol, Sodium 952mg sodium, Carbohydrate 13g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 35g protein.

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