Sauteed Soft Shell Crabs on Fennel Salad
4 SERVINGS
Ingredients:
1 Fennel bulb
2 tablespoons Raspberry vinegar
6 tablespoons Olive oil
4 each Soft-shell crabs, prime grade, cleaned
1/2 cup All-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Oregano (dried)
As needed Vegetable oil, for sautéing
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
Method:
Trim the stalks and feathery tops from the fennel. Cut the bulb in half from top to root. Slice into very thin slices.
Combine the raspberry vinegar and olive oil; toss with the fennel. Correct the seasoning (can be held up to 1 hour before serving). 80 THE CUISINE OF THE MID-ATLANTIC
Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and oregano.
Dredge the crabs in the seasoned flour; shake off excess flour.
Heat oil over medium heat and cook garlic 1 minute.
Add crabs to pan; add more oil if necessary. Cook until golden brown on both sides. When done, there should be very little or no oil left in the pan and the crabs should be covered with garlic and flour scrapings.
Divide the fennel salad among 4 plates and top each salad with 1 crab.
To Clean Soft-Shell Crabs:
With sharp scissors or a knife, snip off the “face” of the crab, from behind the eyes—this will kill the crab instantly. Flip the crab over and you will see a triangular "tail" piece folded up against the body of the crab. Unfold it and snip it off, too.Turn the crab right side up and unfold each of the sides. Remove the sandbags and gills either with your scissors or your hands.
Soft-shell crabs are one of America’s favorite seafood delicacies.While all crabs shed their shells to grow, only a few species of crab can actually be eaten in this form.The blue crab is the only commercially available soft-shell product. The scientific name, Callinectes sapidus, is derived from Latin and Greek (calli = beautiful; nectes = swimmer; sapidus = savory).The translation is not only accurate but surprisingly poetic—the beautiful, savory swimmer.
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