Best Grilled Soft Shell Crabs With Spicy Tartar Sauce Recipes

GRILLED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH OLD BAY TARTAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce: add mayonnaise, peppers, capers, pickles, lemon juice, chives, tarragon, mustard, and Old Bay seasoning to a bowl; whisk to mix.
• Season to taste with black pepper; sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for at least 1 week; bring to room temperature before serving.
• The crabs: melt the butter in a small saucepan over med-high heat.
• Add in garlic, shallot, and Old Bay seasoning; cook until the garlic and shallot have lost their rawness, about 2 minutes; they should be soft and translucent; do not let them brown; set flavored butter aside.
• Set up grill for direct grilling; preheat to high.
• When ready to cook brush and oil the grill grate; brush the crabs on both sides with some of the flavored butter.
• Place the crabs on the hot grate and grill until cooked through, about 2-4 minutes per side, basting with some of the flavored butter.
• When done, the shells will turn bright red.
• Brush the bread slices with the remaining flavored butter and grill them as well, about 1 minute per side.
• To serve: slather the toast with some of the Old Bay Tartar Sauce; place a lettuce leaf, a few tomato slices, and 2 soft-shell crabs on top.
• Serve with the remaining tartar sauce on the side.

GRILLED SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Steps:

• Place the shallots in a saucepan with the lime juice and port. Reduce over medium heat until two tablespoons of sauce remain (five to seven minutes). Add heavy cream and grated ginger. Bring to a boil and reduce by a third to three tablespoons.
• Reduce heat to very low and whisk in the butter, a small piece at a time. Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and add a few more drops of lime juice if necessary. Keep warm (be careful not to overheat or the sauce may curdle).
• Preheat broiler or outdoor grill.
• Brush the crabs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill three to four minutes on each side, until crisp and a deep reddish brown.
• Arrange the crabs on a serving platter, drizzle sauce over them and sprinkle with scallions and coriander.

GRILLED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH SPICY TARTAR SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the grill to high.2. Prepare the tartar sauce. Combine the mayonnaise, chiles, mustard, 1 tablespoon lime juice, the capers, chives, pickles, and tarragon in a small bowl and whisk thoroughly to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or lime juice as necessary the mixture should be highly seasoned. Set aside until serving time (see Note).3. Combine the melted butter and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Brush the crabs on both sides with some of the mixture and season generously with salt and pepper.4. When ready to grill, oil the grill grate. Arrange the crabs on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until the shells are bright red, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Brush the crabs with the remaining butter mixture once or twice as they cook.5. Transfer the crabs to serving plates or a platter and serve immediately, accompanied by the tartar sauce.Serves 4 to 6Note: The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Refrigerate, covered.

SOFT SHELL CRAB SANDWICHES WITH SPICY TARTAR SAUCE (PO BOY)

Steps:

• Make the Tartar Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, onion, pickle, capers with spicy tartar sauce chives, Old Bay, lemon juice, and hot pepper sauce. Set aside.
• To Cook the Crabs: In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Dredge the crabs to coat on both sides.
• Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the butter to the skillet and swirl the pan to melt it. Add the crabs top side down and cook, shaking the pan once or twice, until crisp and browned, about 3 minutes. The crabs may pop and splatter, so be careful.
• Flip the crabs and cook until crisp and just cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the crab should read 145°F), about 3 minutes more. Transfer the crabs to a large paper-towel-lined plate.
• To Assemble the Sandwiches: Spread the tartar sauce on the 8 slices of toast. Top 4 of the toast slices, sauce side up, with a piece of lettuce and 1 or 2 slices of tomato. Put one crab on each sandwich, top with the remaining toast, sauce side down, and serve.