Info
- Course: Main Course
- Skill Level: Easy
- Cost: Moderate
- Favorited: 2 Times
The World’s #1 Collection of Cookbook Recipes Online
The Best and Easiest Soft-Shell Crabs
Cookbook
Soft-shell crabs frequently are the focus of quick and simple meals during the spring and early summer. Because cooking the crabs is messy and speedy, I don’t bother fussing with a side dish and always serve these as a separate course. To round out the meal, some-times I precede this with a pasta dish or follow it with a salad of steamed spring vegetables.
This is the type of meal I usually cook for just the two of us because sautéing crabs for several people is a job that requires too many skillets.
Be really careful when you sauté the crabs. A friend of mine has taken to wearing rubber gloves when she makes these because the crabs sputter, pop, and spatter wildly when they hit the hot skillet. Avert your face as you’re cooking and be sure to turn them gingerly, using a spatula or long-handled tongs.
Yield : 2 servings
Cooking Time : 10 to 12 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 to 6 medium-size softshell crabs, cleaned
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup water
- Lemon wedges for serving
Directions
1. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Coat the crabs with the seasoned flour and shake off any excess.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for a few seconds until hot. When the oil is hot, add the butter and melt. Add the crabs to the skillet and sauté until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the crabs to dinner plates.
3. Add the water to the skillet and increase the heat to high. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and boil until the liquid is reduced to ¼ cup, 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pour them over the crabs. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Notes
A Fish Smell
Do you avoid cooking fish because of the lingering smell left in the kitchen?. If so, lemon juice is your solution, and it’s right at hand if you serve the fish with lemon wedges (which is almost always a good idea anyway). Once dinner is over, rub the used wedges all over the sink, the cutting board, and your hands to eliminate the fishy smell.
© 1991, 1995 by Michele Urvater
Nutritional Information
Nutrients per serving
Nutritional information includes 1/8 teaspoon of added salt per serving.
396 kcal
9 % daily value
72 % daily value
3 % daily value
289 mg
32 mg
13 g
0 g
3 g
30 g
71 mg
450 mg
8 g
27 g
12 % daily value
