Pistou is a vibrant and flavorful sauce that pairs wonderfully with the delicate sweetness of soft shell crabs. Its bold flavors bring a new dimension to this delicious seafood, making it a delectable dish. This article will guide you through the process of creating the perfect pistou sauce to complement soft shell crabs, offering a delightful culinary experience.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
CRISPY SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH PISTOU AND SOFT FRIED EGGS
Prepare a marvelous spring meal with this recipe for ale-battered soft-shell crab, pea-shoot pistou, and sauteed ramps from chef Sean Brock.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Seafood Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a large bowl, whisk together benne seeds, beer, and flour until well combined; season with a pinch of salt. Transfer batter to refrigerator and let chill for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add morels and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Add ramps, peas, and vegetable stock; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until ramps are wilted and peas are bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, fill a large Dutch oven 5 inches high with canola oil. Heat oil over high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
- Remove batter from refrigerator and dredge each crab in batter, shaking off excess. Transfer crabs to hot oil and cover Dutch oven with a splatter guard (crabs will sizzle and pop while cooking). Cook, turning once, until crabs are golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer crabs to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
- Place a tablespoon of butter in each of 2 medium nonstick skillets; heat skillets over medium heat until butter is frothy. Reduce heat to low and crack an egg into each skillet; cook, basting whites with butter using a spoon, until whites are set but yolks are still runny. Season with salt and pepper. Remove eggs from skillets and repeat process with remaining 2 eggs.
- Divide pistou evenly among 4 serving plates. Place a crab on each plate and top each with an egg. Divide morels, ramps, and peas evenly among plates; garnish each with a pea shoot and benne seeds. Serve immediately.
FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRAB
These crabs are fried to a light crisp, and you can eat the whole crab. It is my favorite food.
Provided by WESBRYANT
Categories Main Dish Recipes Seafood Main Dish Recipes Crab
Time 35m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Clean each crab. Lift one pointed side of top shell and remove the gills by pulling them out. Put top shell back down and repeat on other side. On the bottom side remove tail flap by twisting and pulling off. Using a pair of scissors, remove the face by cutting behind the eyes. Rinse the crabs thoroughly with cold water. Dry on paper towels.
- Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees F). In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk using a fork. In a separate bowl, stir salt and pepper into the flour. Lightly salt the crab, then dip in the flour, dip in the egg, then in the flour again.
- Carefully place crabs into the deep-fryer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Carefully turn over, and cook until golden on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve as soon as they are cool enough to eat. You can eat the whole crab.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 357.9 calories, Carbohydrate 25.4 g, Cholesterol 65.2 mg, Fat 24.4 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 9.1 g, SaturatedFat 3.7 g, Sodium 76 mg, Sugar 1.6 g
SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH GARLIC AND BUTTER
Provided by Food Network
Categories appetizer
Time 32m
Yield 3 appetizer servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
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.
PISTOU FOR SOFT-SHELL CRAB
French pistou sauce is like a nut-free version of Italian pesto. This Southern take comes from chef Sean Brock, and it's served with his Crispy Soft-Shell Crab.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Healthy Recipes Gluten-Free Recipes
Yield Makes enough for 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Add pea shoots to boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain and transfer to ice-water bath to cool. Drain and pat dry, removing any excess water.
- Very finely chop pea shoots and transfer to the jar of a blender, along with garlic, vegetable stock, and xanthan gum; blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve; serve.
SOFT SHELL CRAB WITH TEMPURA BATTER AND DIPPING SAUCES
Steps:
- For Tempura Batter: Whisk together ingredients. Can be used for up to 1 hour. Keep cold!
- For Crabs: Heat 1/4-inch of corn or peanut oil in a heavy skillet until very hot but not smoking. Fry the crabs in batches for about 2 minutes on the first side, then turn and fry for another minute. The crust should be golden. Be prepared the crabs will split when you fry them; a splatter screen will come in handy.
- Drain on paper towels and serve with dipping sauces.
- For Balsamic Syrup: Put all ingredients together and reduce over medium heat, down to 1/4 of its liquid. Strain and discard onion.
- For Red Pepper Syrup: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Reduce down to 3/4 of a cup. Thicken with the arrowroot.
- For Wasabi Cream: Dissolve Wasabi in water. Whisk in creme fraiche and lemon juice. Season with salt.
SAUTEED SOFTSHELL CRABS
Provided by R. W. Apple Jr.
Categories dinner, easy, quick, main course
Time 20m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place flour on a plate, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge soft-shell crabs in flour, shaking off excess. When the skillet is hot, add half the butter and canola oil to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Add four crabs, backside down, being careful to avoid spattering. When they brown lightly, turn, and finish cooking on the other side, until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes total, depending on the size of the crabs. Drain on paper towels, and repeat with remaining crabs, adding more butter or oil to pan if needed.
- In a small bowl, stir together remaining clarified butter and lemon juice. Drizzle over crabs, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 268, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 25 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 228 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams
PAN-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS
Boom! Pan-fried soft-shell crabs served with lemon-butter and an Asian-inspired ginger and scallion soy sauce.
Provided by ERIKIM21
Time 20m
Yield 3
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Combine flour and seafood seasoning in a resealable zip-top bag. Seal and shake to mix. Combine egg and milk in a bowl. Dredge crabs in egg mixture, then add to seasoned flour and shake to coat. Shake off excess when removing from bag.
- Heat olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add crabs in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes; flip and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Remove to a serving dish.
- Mix mayonnaise, chives, pickle juice, mustard, seafood seasoning, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together for remoulade. Serve with crabs.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 516.2 calories, Carbohydrate 10.8 g, Cholesterol 100.4 mg, Fat 48 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 10.8 g, SaturatedFat 7.2 g, Sodium 1224.1 mg, Sugar 1.4 g
Tips:
- Choose the freshest soft-shell crabs you can find. Look for crabs that are lively and have a bright blue-green color. Avoid crabs that are dull or have a slimy texture.
- Clean the crabs thoroughly before cooking. Use a soft brush to remove any dirt or debris from the shells. Be sure to remove the gills and the mouthparts.
- Cook the crabs quickly over high heat. This will help to preserve their delicate flavor and texture. Pan-frying or deep-frying are both good methods for cooking soft-shell crabs.
- Serve the crabs immediately with your favorite dipping sauce. Pistou is a classic Provençal sauce made with basil, garlic, olive oil, and pine nuts. It is a delicious and versatile sauce that pairs well with seafood.
Conclusion:
Soft-shell crabs are a delicious and versatile seafood dish. They can be cooked in a variety of ways, but pan-frying or deep-frying are two of the most popular methods. Be sure to choose the freshest crabs you can find and clean them thoroughly before cooking. Serve the crabs immediately with your favorite dipping sauce, such as pistou.
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