Pan-Fried Soft-Shell Crabs
Title: Pan-Fried Soft-Shell CrabsCategories: Main dish, Seafood
Yield: 6 servings
6 ea Medium-large soft shell crab Whit pepper
2 c Corn oil Black pepper(or lemon pepper
Garlic powder 2 c Milk
Thyme 2 Raw eggs
Salt 4 c Seasoned corn flour
Cayenne pepper
Start by washing the crabs thoroughly under cold running water. Then,
using a paring knife, lift the left and right top shell "end points" and
remove the gills (the "dead man") which lie under the covers. Wash the gill
area well. Then cut off the mouth portion of the crab and use the point of
the paring knife to pry out the eyes and eye-stalks. Wash these two areas
again. Turn the crab over on its back and remove the "flap." Just pry it
up, push it between your thumb and the knife, and pull it loose. Repeat the
washing process. Then set the crabs in a colander to drain for about half
an hour. While they are draining, get your skillet ready and heat your
cooking oil to about 375 degrees (high to medium high on most stove tops).
This is also a good time to whip up your coating mix.
Next, lay the cleaned crabs on a sheet of waxed paper, and sprinkle them
lightly with the garlic powder, thyme, salt, and all the peppers. When
they have all been sprinkled, use your hands to rub the seasonings in. Set
them aside again for a few minutes and make your egg-wash: just blend the
milk and the raw eggs together. When you're ready to cook and the oil is
at the right temperature, run the crabs through the egg-wash, dip them
lightly in the coating mix, run them back through the egg-wash, once more
lightly through the coating mix (shaking off all the excess), and place
them in the hot grease. Three things to remember here:(1) The crabs must
be dipped and coated one at a time. You cannot dip and coat them all at
once - the coating mix will become gummy instead of crisp. (2) Place the
crabs in the oil one at a time. Otherwise the oil temperature will drop
too much and the grease will be absorbed by the crab. And (3) as soon as
you place the crab in the oil, take a cooking fork or an ice pick and
pierce a few holes in the soft-shell. This will keep pressures from
building up inside the crab shells so they won't "explode" as they fry. It
sure keeps the grease from spattering all over you.
Fry your soft-shells on both sides, using a spatula to turn them over. If
you can manage it, turn them only once. It is not necessary to overcook
them. A few minutes on each side until they turn golden brown is all
that's needed - you want them crisp and juicy, not half-burned and rubber
dry.
Soft-shells should be served piping hot, open-face on buttered light
toast, to get the best possible flavors.
From: The Frank Davis Seafood Notebook
By: Frank Davis
ISBN: 0-88289-309-2
Source: rec.food.cooking
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