The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (213 page)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Restaurants are the usual venue for eating soft-shell crabs—blue crabs taken out of the water just after they have shed their shells and eaten whole. Restaurants usually deep-fry them; we wanted a way to get a truly crispy soft-shell crab at home without deep-frying. We found that pan-frying lightly floured crabs created that satisfyingly crisp result without the mess. Because juice pours out of a live crab when you clean it, we found that the crabs needed to be cooked immediately after cleaning for them to be plump and juicy when they reached the dinner table.

See “CLEANING A SOFT SHELL CRAB” illustrations that follow recipe.

SERVES 4

For maximum crispness, cook the crabs in two pans, each covered with a splatter screen, so that you can serve the crabs as soon as they are cooked. If you are working with just one splatter screen and pan, cook 4 crabs in 4 tablespoons butter, transfer to a platter in a 300-degree oven, wipe out the pan, and repeat with the remaining crabs. The pan sauce is powerfully flavored; you only need about 1 tablespoon per serving.

1. TO CLEAN THE CRABS:
Cut off crab’s mouth with kitchen shears. Cut off eyes, if desired. Lift pointed sides of crab and cut out spongy off-white gills underneath. Cut off triangular “apron flap.” Pat the crabs dry with paper towels.

2.
Place flour in shallow baking dish or pie plate and line platter or 2 large plates with paper towels. Dredge crabs in flour, gently shaking off excess. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in each of two 12-inch skillets over medium-high heat, swirling skillets to keep butter from burning. Turn heat to high and add 4 crabs, shell side down, to each skillet. Cover each skillet with splatter screen and cook, adjusting heat as necessary to keep butter from burning, until crabs turn reddish brown, about 3 minutes. Turn crabs with spatula or tongs and cook until second side is browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer crabs to prepared platter or plates.

3.
Set 1 skillet aside and pour off butter from remaining skillet. Off heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, vinegar, parsley, scallion, tarragon, capers, and pepper to taste, swirling pan to melt butter. Arrange 2 crabs per person on 4 plates. Spoon about 1 tablespoon sauce over each serving and serve immediately.

SERVES 4

You can substitute mustard greens or collard greens for the spinach in this recipe—just make sure they are cooked in boiling salted water until tender, then drained, rinsed in cold water, and squeezed dry. Chop them coarse, then proceed with the recipe.

1. TO CLEAN THE CRABS:
Cut off crab’s mouth with kitchen shears. Cut off eyes, if desired. Lift pointed sides of crab and cut out spongy off-white gills underneath. Cut off triangular “apron flap.” Pat the crabs dry with paper towels.

2.
Fit stockpot or Dutch oven with steamer basket or pasta insert. Bring 1 inch water to boil. Add spinach, cover and steam, stirring once, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain spinach, refresh under cold water, then squeeze out excess liquid. Chop spinach coarse and set aside.

3.
Place flour in baking dish or pie plate and line large plate or platter with paper towels. Dredge crabs in flour, gently shaking off excess. Melt 4 tablespoons butter each in two 12-inch skillets over medium-high heat, swirling skillets to keep butter from burning. Turn heat to high and add 4 crabs, shell-side down, to each skillet. Cover each skillet with splatter screen and cook, adjusting heat as necessary to keep butter from burning, until crabs turn reddish brown, about 3 minutes. Turn crabs with spatula or tongs and cook until second side is browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer crabs to prepared platter or plates.

4.
Set 1 skillet aside and pour off butter from remaining skillet. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-high heat, add half of garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach and salt and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Off heat, stir in lemon juice to taste and season with pepper to taste. Divide spinach among 4 plates and arrange 2 crabs on each bed of spinach. Serve immediately.