SOFT-SHELL CRAB CROSTINI WITH ARUGULA BUTTER

Soft-Shell Crab Crostini With Arugula Butter image

For easy weeknight meals, I dry my cleaned crabs thoroughly so they don't steam, then sauté them in plenty of butter or oil. You could use a breading like flour or cornmeal to augment the crunch factor, but it also impedes the sweetness of the meat. And good crabs don't really need it. The trick is to know when to take them off the heat. As soon as they turn from gray-brown to rust and white, the texture goes from soft to taut and they are ready. Soft-shell crabs don't need much adornment; a squirt of citrus and some freshly ground black pepper offset the funky sea flavor beautifully. But a little garlic and something green and sprightly (here, a combination of arugula and chives) can make them even better.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 25m

Yield 4 servings as an appetizer, 2 as a main course

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

3/4 cup arugula leaves, stems trimmed
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 soft-shell crabs, cleaned and patted dry
4 half-inch-thick slices country-style bread

Steps:

Finely chop 1/4 cup of the arugula. Combine in a bowl with the butter, chives, garlic, salt and pepper.
Heat 4 tablespoons of the arugula butter mixture in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crabs and cook, without moving, until crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes a side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
Preheat the broiler. Place the bread on a baking sheet and run under the broiler until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. (Watch carefully to see that they don't burn.) Spread the toasted bread with the remaining butter and each slice with a crab. Thinly slice the remaining arugula and sprinkle on top of each serving.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 303, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 15 grams, Fat 24 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 15 grams, Sodium 213 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 1 gram