Not Hard To Prep Shell Crabs
Father's Day is two days away.
So chef Ed Brown, owner of the Manhatan eatery Eighty One, brought his sons, Alex and Harry, on The Early Show Friday to show how make a traditional summer dish of soft-shell crabs for dads.
But you may be wondering: What exactly is a soft-shell crab?
As a crab grows, its shell can't grow with it, so it has to molt its shell to accommodate its changing size. When a crab is molting its shell, for about four days, the crustacean is known as a soft-shell crab.
In the United States, blue crab is the species generally used in dishes. They're usually in season from the end of May to July.
MENU:
WOJITO
(watermelon "mojito style")
Makes 4 cocktails/ mocktails
This drink is special with or without alcohol!
6 ea. tarragon leaves
4 oz fresh watermelon juice
2 oz. POM juice
2 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 oz. CIROC vodka (made from grapes)
Muddle tarragon in shaker glass. Add remaining ingredients and some ice
Shake and strain over ice
Optional garnish: dried fennel stick
Soft-Shell Club Sandwich
Makes 4 sandwiches
12 slices best quality smoked bacon (preferably thick)
8 ea. Medium soft-shell crabs, dispatched and cleaned
1/2 Cup All purpose flour for dredging
2 Tbls. Sweet butter
1/2 Cup Best quality mayonnaise or home-made
1 Tbls. Dijon mustard
1-1/2 tsp. Prepared Horseradish
8 slices Country Loaf Bread, lightly toasted
1/2 head butternut lettuce, washed, dried, whole leaves
1 ea. Large red beefsteak tomato cut into 4 thick slices, seasoned with salt
4 ea. Scallions, washed, quartered lengthwise
In a large sauté pan at medium heat cook bacon till crisp, remove keep warm, discard half the fat, return pan to medium heat
Dredge crabs lightly in flour, the sauté shell side down for two minutes
Flip the crabs add the butter and cook two and a half minutes longer, remove to absorbent paper keep warm, season with salt. In a medium non-reactive bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard and horseradish, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Coat all slices of country bread liberally with the mayo mixture.
Build the sandwich with the remaining ingredients, cut in half.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.
Indian Spice Crusted Soft-Shell Crabs With Spring Vegetable Ragout
4 portions
Crabs
8 soft-shell crabs cleaned
2 cups Dhana Dhal coarsely ground
1/4 cup olive oil for sauté
Ragout
1 cup cleaned blanched Fava beans
1 cup lightly sautéed spring leek whites only
1 cup cleaned blanched English peas
1 cup cleaned blanched Ramps
1 cup cleaned blanched fiddlehead ferns
1 cup lightly sautéed Morel mushrooms with their juices
1 bunch Garlic shoots
4 Chive blossoms
1 cup chopped Sun dried tomatoes
2 cup Clam juice
2 tablespoons butter diced
8 thin slices of Italian or Spanish cured Ham (Prosciutto)
Black pepper to taste
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Place oil in a large pan over medium low heat.
Dredge crabs in spice mixture, generously coating all sides. Place crabs into the hot oil shell side down. Slide pan into a 350f degree pre-heated oven and allow crabs to cook for seven minutes.
Remove from oven and return to moderate flame. Flip crabs over and continue to cook for one minute. Remove from pan and pat with oil absorbent paper
For the Ragout:
In a medium sized pan over moderately high heat combine vegetables and morels with clam juice and bring to a boil. Allow to boil until clam juice is reduced to half of its original quantity.
Reduce heat and add cubes of butter, swirling the pan to slowly incorporate butter until juices coat the back of your spoon. Season salt & pepper
Add the garlic shoots, stir and spoon onto plates. Place crabs and slices of ham atop the ragout and sprinkle with chive blossoms.
Soft-Shell Crab Pan Roast
Makes 4 appetizers
6 ea. Medium sized soft-shell crabs, dispatched, cleaned, cut in quarters
1 tsp. olive oil
2 ea. Strips bacon, minced
2 ea. Small clove garlic, peeled, minced
2 ea. small fresh shallots, peeled, minced
1 Tbls. Vermouth
1 1/2 cup Half & half
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. good brandy
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. rough chopped tarragon
2 tsp. rough chopped flat parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ea. 1 inch thick baguette croutons (toasted crisp)
In a medium sauce-pan heat oil on medium heat
Add bacon and render fat, do not color
Add shallots and garlic, sweat without color until translucent
Add crabs, cook 1 minute
Add vermouth and stock, bring to a boil
Add cream, Worcestershire and Tabasco, bring to boil, then simmer 1 minute
Remove from fire add brandy, lemon, herbs and season
In a soup bowl place crouton on bottom, ladle crabs and sauce equally over the bread, serve