Soft Shell Crabs

It's soft shell crab season and I couldn't be happier! These delicious morsels have been a favorite of mine since my days at the Hayes Street Grill. I've had them many times since then but find that the Grill's recipe is the best. The trick is the buttermilk bath at the beginning. Simply delicious!


Soft Shell Crabs Meuniere

Soak 2 soft shell crabs in buttermilk for 5 minutes.
Heat 4 tablespoons clarified butter in a sauté pan over medium heat to hot but not smoking. If you don’t have clarified butter you can use oil, but the butter tastes better.
Remove crabs from buttermilk, shaking off excess and dredge in mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Add crabs to the heated pan shell side down. Cook for 2 minutes and flip them over. Cook for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from pan and place them on your garnished serving plate.

In the same pan, heat a bit of oil and add chopped shallots. Cook for about 30 seconds, taking care not to burn the shallots. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Immediately remove from heat and drizzle over the crabs. Serve with rice or fries.

Another delicious way to eat soft shell crabs is as a sandwich. Cook the crabs same as above without the meuniere. Serve on a bun with tarter sauce, lettuce and tomato.
This is a favorite at the Hayes Street Grill booth at the Ferry Plaza Saturday Farmer’s Market.