Savoring Soft-Shells
If you read my story on the seafood dinner at Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen, you’ll know I tasted some great soft-shell crabs last week.
Chef Jay Pierce of Lucky 32 fried his soft-shells, but I actually prefer them sauteed—and it happens to be less work and less mess.
Soft-shells are just coming into season in North Carolina. I just got a newsletter from Sea Products, a fishmonger on West End Boulevard, saying it has fresh ones.
Here’s my recipe for Sauteed Soft-Shells. Though I like them with Hollandaise, as the recipe calls for, they are really quite good without just a squeeze of lemon juice instead.
Sauteed Soft-Shell Crabs With Hollandaise
For the Hollandaise:
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 pound butter, clarified (See Note), or more to taste
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper
For the crabs:
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
8 soft-shell crabs, dressed
All-purpose flour
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Old Bay seasoning, optional
1. Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a medium heatproof mixing bowl. If not used to making Hollandaise, add a teaspoon or so of water to the yolk mixture to help prevent the eggs from scrambling.
2. Place bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Whisk eggs constantly until they begin to thicken, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully, and remove from heat if eggs begin to scramble.
3. Off the heat, begin adding clarified butter to yolk mixture a drop at a time. As the sauce begins to form, gradually increase the flow of butter. Continue whisking in butter until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Add salt if needed, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Heat a large skillet with the oil and butter over medium heat. Thoroughly dry the crabs with paper towels.
5. Season the flour with salt, cayenne and Old Bay, if desired. Dust both sides of crabs with seasoned flour, shake off excess, and place 4 crabs in the pan in a single layer without crowding them. Cook about 3 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Flip them and cook 2 minutes more. Repeat with 4 remaining crabs, adding more oil and butter if needed, then serve with the Hollandaise.
Note: To clarify butter, bring it to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Remove from the heat for a few minutes. Then strain through a sieve, or skim off the solids from the surface and slowly pour the clear butter oil into a separate container, being careful not to get any of the solids on the bottom of the pan.
