Best 7 Soft Shell Crabs With Curry Butter Recipes

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**Savor the Delicacy of Soft-Shell Crabs Enhanced with a Trio of Culinary Masterpieces:**

Embark on a culinary adventure with our delectable soft-shell crabs, artfully prepared in three distinct and tantalizing recipes. Treat your taste buds to the crispy delight of **Fried Soft-Shell Crabs**, where the crabs are coated in a light and flavorful batter, then fried to perfection. Immerse yourself in the aromatic embrace of **Soft-Shell Crabs with Curry Butter**, where succulent crabs are sautéed in a rich and fragrant curry butter sauce. For a taste of coastal elegance, indulge in **Soft-Shell Crabs Meunière**, where delicate crabs are pan-fried in butter and finished with a classic lemon-butter sauce. Each recipe promises a unique culinary experience, sure to satisfy even the most discerning palate.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CAPER BROWN BUTTER



Sauteed Soft-Shell Crabs with Caper Brown Butter image

Provided by Tyler Florence

Categories     main-dish

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 cups all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium soft-shell crabs, cleaned and rinsed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 lemon, juiced
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Lemon wedges, for serving

Steps:

  • To prepare the soft-shell crabs: Put the flour in a pie dish or plate and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Dredge the crabs in the seasoned flour to coat, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high flame. Lay the crabs in the hot oil in a single layer without crowding; you may have to fry them in batches. Be careful, the crabs have a tendency to pop and spatter. Cook the crabs for about 3 minutes on each side, turning once, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and cover to keep warm.
  • Lower the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan. Let the butter melt and cook until it just begins to brown. Add the capers and wine; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until almost dry. Add the lemon juice and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Pour the caper brown butter sauce over the crabs and serve with lemon wedges.

SAUTéED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH LEMON-BUTTER PAN SAUCE RECIPE



Sautéed Soft-Shell Crabs With Lemon-Butter Pan Sauce Recipe image

These crispy, plump, and briny soft-shell crabs cook up in just a few minutes, and are then topped with an even quicker lemon-brown butter pan sauce with capers and parsley. It's as pure a celebration of fresh soft-shell crabs as it gets, with nothing extraneous in the way.

Provided by Daniel Gritzer

Categories     Entree     Mains     Quick and Easy     Quick Dinners

Time 20m

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 7

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large soft-shell crabs, preferably jumbo or "whale" size, cleaned
1 stick (8 tablespoons; 120g) unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon drained capers
2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice from one lemon
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems

Steps:

  • In a shallow bowl, season flour with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge crabs in the seasoned flour.
  • In a 10-inch stainless steel skillet, melt 4 tablespoons (60g) butter over medium-high heat until foamy. Add crabs, shell-side down, and cook until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes; be careful, as soft-shell crabs sometimes pop in the pan. Flip crabs and cook until crisp and golden on bottom side, about 3 minutes. Transfer crabs to paper towel-lined plates and season lightly with salt.
  • Add remaining 4 tablespoons (60g) butter to the skillet and melt until foaming. Lower heat to medium and cook until the butter turns a medium-brown color, about 2 minutes.
  • Add capers and cook until lightly crisped, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice, swirl to combine, and remove from heat.
  • Stir parsley into pan sauce, season with salt, if needed. Transfer crabs to a serving platter and spoon sauce on top. Serve right away.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 704 kcal, Carbohydrate 13 g, Cholesterol 376 mg, Fiber 1 g, Protein 48 g, SaturatedFat 31 g, Sodium 1274 mg, Sugar 0 g, Fat 51 g, ServingSize Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a starter, UnsaturatedFat 0 g

PAN-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS



Pan-Fried Soft-Shell Crabs image

Ask your fishmonger to clean soft-shell crabs for you. Crabs should be cooked no more than six hours after they are cleaned.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Seafood Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
12 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
3 lemons, cut in half

Steps:

  • Whisk flour, salt, and pepper; place on a dinner plate. Dredge 2 soft-shell crabs in flour mixture, shaking off excess (make sure crabs are completely coated).
  • Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. The oil should be very hot but not smoking. Place flour-coated crabs, back side down, in sauté pan; reduce heat to medium if pan starts to smoke. Sauté crabs until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes (do not stand too close to pan; crabs tend to spatter during cooking). Turn crabs over, and cook 2 minutes more.
  • Add 1 tablespoon butter and a large pinch of parsley to skillet. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over crabs. Keep warm in a low oven. Repeat process until all the crabs are cooked.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH GARLIC AND BUTTER



Sauteed Soft-shell Crabs with Garlic and Butter image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     appetizer

Time 32m

Yield 3 appetizer servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

3 soft-shell crabs, cleaned and patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon butter
Few chive blades, chopped
Essence, for garnish, recipe follows
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Steps:

  • Season crabs with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. Set aside.
  • In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and saute the crabs until soft, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the crabs and set aside. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add the capers and white wine. Cook until wine has reduced to about 1/2. Swirl in the butter and the chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Transfer crabs to a plate, spoon sauce over the crabs and garnish with Essence.
  • Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
  • Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRAB



Sauteed Soft-Shell Crab image

Categories     Milk/Cream     Shellfish     Sauté     Quick & Easy     Crab     Spring     Parsley     Parade

Yield Makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
4 small soft-shell crabs, cleaned
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Rèmoulade Sauce , for serving

Steps:

  • 1. Place the milk in a shallow bowl large enough to hold the crabs in a single layer. Add the crabs and let them soak for 1 hour. Drain and discard the milk.
  • 2. Season the flour with salt and pepper in a paper or plastic bag. Lightly dredge each crab in the flour.
  • 3. Heat the oil and butter together in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and sautè the crabs in batches until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Add more oil and butter to the pan if necessary.
  • 4. To serve, place a crab in the center of 4 salad plates and garnish each with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a small dollop of Rèmoulade Sauce.

SOFT-SHELL CRAB WITH LEMON BUTTER



Soft-Shell Crab With Lemon Butter image

Make and share this Soft-Shell Crab With Lemon Butter recipe from Food.com.

Provided by ratherbeswimmin

Categories     Crab

Time 42m

Yield 2 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
fresh ground black pepper
salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
8 soft shelled crabs
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
salt
fresh ground black pepper
lemon slice
fresh parsley sprig

Steps:

  • Make the coating: in a shallow dish, stir the all the coating ingredients together.
  • Remove the feeler underneath the crab shells on both sides; rinse the crab and dry carefully.
  • In a big skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the vegetable oil; add in shallots and saute until lightly softened, about 1 minute.
  • Roll the crabs in the flour mixture and place them in the skillet; saute, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side.
  • When they have finished cooking and have turned pink, add the lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste and cook another minute or two.
  • Make sure the garlic is cooked but not browned; taste for seasoning.
  • Transfer the crabs to individual plates and garnish with lemon and parsley; serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 411.3, Fat 31, SaturatedFat 15.7, Cholesterol 126.5, Sodium 253.2, Carbohydrate 16.8, Fiber 0.8, Sugar 0.9, Protein 17.6

SOFT-SHELLED CRABS MEUNIèRE



Soft-Shelled Crabs Meunière image

A quick fry of soft-shelled crabs gets topped with brown butter and parsley.

Categories     Shellfish     Sauté     Quick & Easy     Lemon     Crab     Spring     Parsley     Gourmet

Yield Makes 2 (main-course) servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 small (4-inch-wide) live soft-shelled crabs, cleaned
1 cup Wondra or all-purpose flour
4 tablespoonsClarified Butter
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Steps:

  • Combine milk, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish and soak crabs 5 minutes. Lift 1 crab out of milk, letting excess drip off, and dredge in flour. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a tray. Repeat with remaining crabs, arranging them in 1 layer as coated.
  • Heat clarified butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté crabs, upside down, 2 minutes. Turn over and sauté until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes more.
  • Transfer crabs to a serving dish. Add butter pieces to skillet and cook until golden brown with a nutty aroma. Add lemon juice and parsley (mixture will bubble up) and remove from heat.
  • Season sauce with salt and pepper and drizzle over crabs.

Tips:

  • Choose the right crabs: Look for soft-shell crabs that are about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. They should be firm to the touch and have a light, sweet smell.
  • Clean the crabs properly: Remove the gills, mouthparts, and intestines from the crabs. Be careful not to damage the delicate meat.
  • Cook the crabs quickly: Soft-shell crabs should be cooked quickly over high heat. This will help to preserve their delicate flavor and texture.
  • Serve the crabs immediately: Soft-shell crabs are best served immediately after they are cooked. They can be served with a variety of dipping sauces, such as lemon butter, tartar sauce, or cocktail sauce.

Conclusion:

Soft-shell crabs are a delicious and versatile seafood dish. They can be fried, grilled, or sautéed. They can also be used in salads, soups, and stews. No matter how you choose to cook them, soft-shell crabs are sure to be a hit. So next time you're looking for a unique and flavorful seafood dish, be sure to give soft-shell crabs a try. You won't be disappointed!

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