Best Fried Soft Shell Crabs With A Shellfish Ragu Recipes

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.

MARYLAND FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Wash and clean crabs by cutting off the face just behind the eyes. Lift top of shell and remove the spongy fingers. If the crab is a female (identified by striped markings), remove the back or apron. Rinse and dry.
• Season flour with salt and pepper and mix in baking powder. Dredge crabs in mixture.
• Pour oil into skillet to depth of 1 inch. Heat to 375 degrees. Cook crabs on both sides until brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce, if desired.

FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRAB

Steps:

• Clean each crab. Lift one pointed side of top shell and remove the gills by pulling them out. Put top shell back down and repeat on other side. On the bottom side remove tail flap by twisting and pulling off. Using a pair of scissors, remove the face by cutting behind the eyes. Rinse the crabs thoroughly with cold water. Dry on paper towels.
• Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees F). In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk using a fork. In a separate bowl, stir salt and pepper into the flour. Lightly salt the crab, then dip in the flour, dip in the egg, then in the flour again.
• Carefully place crabs into the deep-fryer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Carefully turn over, and cook until golden on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve as soon as they are cool enough to eat. You can eat the whole crab.

FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH A SHELLFISH RAGU RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oil in a large saucepan or deep fryer to 360 degrees. Rinse crabs in water, then pat dry with paper towel. Season each crab with 1 teaspoon of the Essence and set aside. Combine flour with 4 teaspoons of the remaining Essence, salt and ground black pepper and stir to combine well. Beat the egg with a splash of water in a shallow dish. Lay out the breadcrumbs in a separate shallow dish. Lightly dredge each crab in the seasoned flour, making sure that the crabs are completely coated. Dip each crab in eggwash to cover, then coat in bread crumbs. Holding the crabs by long tongs or balanced on a small skimmer, hold them so that the legs dangle down into the hot oil and fry for 1 minute, or until the legs are stiff. Lower the crab completely into the oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn crab over and allow to fry an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy all over. Carefully transfer crabs to paper-lined plates to drain briefly before serving. Sprinkle with Essence when still hot. In a large skillet over medium-high heat melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and saute the shallots until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and the remaining teaspoon of Essence and saute for 1 minute, or until the shrimp turn pink around the edges. Add the shrimp stock, bring to a boil and cook over high heat until the stock is reduced by half. Add the heavy cream and cook until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Add the crawfish tails, fresh thyme and snipped chives and cook until heated through. Whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and remove sauce from the heat. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary, and serve the ragu ladled over the fried softshell crabs. This recipe yields 4 servings.