In the culinary world, the term "shell" encompasses a diverse array of ingredients, each offering unique flavors and textures that can transform any dish into a delectable masterpiece. From the delicate crunch of sea scallops to the tender embrace of pasta shells, and the briny allure of clams and mussels, the realm of shellfish is vast and enticing. Whether you seek a quick and easy weeknight meal or an elaborate feast for a special occasion, this article will guide you through the intricacies of cooking with shells, ensuring that you create dishes that tantalize the taste buds and leave your loved ones craving more.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
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
PAN-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS
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
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
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.
ROASTED AND SALTED PEANUTS IN THE SHELL
My husband loves salted peanuts in the shell but often, by the time they reach the grocery store, they are stale. Living in the South, my local produce market sells raw roasting peanuts. And voila, after some experimentation, we've got an amazing snack. It's not hard to make, the actual roasting time is 30 minutes, but getting to that stage just takes time - days, in fact, unless you've got a food dryer-dehydrator, perhaps. But, if you can get your hands on fresh raw peanuts, it's worth the wait. Do not think that you can bring the nuts home from the store and much on them during your movie the same night. It won't work.
Provided by OliveLover
Categories Nuts
Time P3DT30m
Yield 2 pounds
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Heat the water to boiling. I use our electric water boiler which holds 7 cups, so need to do it in two batches. In a large, 5-6 quart, heat safe container, dissolve the salt in the water. Add the peanuts, stirring so that everyone is submerged and coated with the brine. Take a plate or pie pan and set it on top of the floating peanuts to make sure they stay that way. Stir them once every hour over the next 5 hours.
- After 5-6 hours, pour off the water using a colander or strainer and rinse slightly. You'll be amazed at how much dirt has come off of them, but they are a natural product grown in the soil. And in my case, the produce market is somewhat "open air" and the bins are not covered, so the birds like to sort through them for loose nuts. You'll want to get the dirt off, but if you over rinse, you'll also remove too much of the salt.
- On two half-sheet pans, it might take more if you have smaller cooking sheets, place a baking cooling rack in side. I use ones that have both the vertical and horizontal wires. Divide the peanuts between the racks and allow them to dry. Depending on the relative humidity of the house, this could take the better part of 2-3 days. Stir occasionally. You might be able to speed this up with a food dehydrator or placing them in front of a fan.
- When the nuts are dry, remove the baking racks from the pans. Put the racks in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring at the 15 minute mark. Check them at 25 and again at 30, depending on how roasted you like them. I have a smallish oven, so do them on two racks, and also switch racks at the 15 minute mark. The nuts roast best when they are in a single layer.
- If you want to roast them without salt, you must still wash the nuts, but as they are not soaked in the brine, they will take less time to dry out.
- If you wanted to make "hot" or spicy nuts, some liquid hot sauce into the brine would work, but I've not had that request, so can't tell you how much to use.
- This amount of brine could actually handle another pound of peanuts, but 2 pounds is about all we can eat in a reasonable amount of time.
- Also, 1/3 cup of peanuts, out of the shell is considered 1 serving. I have no idea how many peanuts in the shell would give you 1/3 cup!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 2576.4, Fat 223.8, SaturatedFat 31.1, Sodium 56725.3, Carbohydrate 73.3, Fiber 38.6, Sugar 18, Protein 117.2
SHRIMP AND PASTA SHELL SALAD
When I want to make a macaroni salad just a little bit extra-special, nothing does the trick like some small, sweet shrimp. This is one of my favorite summer salads, and it's oh-so-easy.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Salad Seafood Salad Recipes Shrimp Salad Recipes
Time 2h35m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Whisk 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl; add lemon juice and 1/3 cup chopped dill. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate.
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and stir in pasta shells; cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool pasta slightly; drain again. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Toss shrimp with pasta; add red bell pepper, celery, and dressing to pasta and shrimp. Mix thoroughly to coat and fill shells with dressing. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, 2 to 3 hours.
- Stir salad again before serving and season to taste with more salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper if desired. If salad seems a little dry, mix in a little more mayonnaise. Garnish with paprika and sprigs of dill.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 450.9 calories, Carbohydrate 33.8 g, Cholesterol 99.3 mg, Fat 28.8 g, Fiber 1.9 g, Protein 15.4 g, SaturatedFat 4.4 g, Sodium 663.8 mg, Sugar 2.8 g
ESCARGOT, IN THE SHELL WITH HERB BUTTER
Provided by Food Network
Time 45m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Rinse the escargot under warm water, pat shells dry with a paper towel, then set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the butter, shallots, garlic, parsley, and lemon juice. Mix all ingredients well with a small spoon. Lightly season butter with salt and pepper, until desired taste is achieved.
- When butter is at desired flavor, begin to scoop a small amount of herb butter in each shell of escargot. If there is extra butter left over after each shell has been filled, go back and continue the process, adding extra butter, until all the butter has been used.
- Put the stuffed shells into the fridge and allow to sit for about 20 minutes, giving the butter enough time to solidify in shells. While the shells are in the fridge, set the oven to 350 degrees F.
- When the butter is solid in the shells, remove from fridge and transfer shells into an oven-safe pan. If possible, avoid placing shells on a sheet tray, as we want the snails to cook in the butter as much as possible. Cook snails for 15 minutes, max.
- Serve snails, in shells, on top of toasted pieces of baguette, or in a fresh tomato-based sauce.
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
SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CAPER BROWN BUTTER
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.
GARDEN SHELL SALAD
Fresh basil marries the flavors of this splendid salad from Kathy Glasgow. The Marysville, California reader lightly dresses the dish, making it ideal with almost any entree.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch
Time 30m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the peas during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time. Drain and rinse in cold water. , In a large bowl, combine the pasta, peas, celery, red pepper and onion. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, basil, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 157 calories, Fat 1g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 2mg cholesterol, Sodium 380mg sodium, Carbohydrate 31g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 6g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
DEEP-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRAB
Don't be put off by the idea of eating the whole crab. It's tender, slightly salty, and delicious. And the insides look like straight meat after frying with no visible "guts."
Provided by Brian Genest
Categories Seafood
Time 20m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Heat 2 inches oil in a deep pot to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Whisk flour, bread crumbs, cornstarch, seafood seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and chili powder together in a bowl until evenly combined. Mix milk and eggs together in a separate bowl.
- Dredge each whole crab in the flour mixture, dunk in the egg mixture, then back in the flour mixture to coat.
- Lower crabs carefully into the hot oil. Fry until they start to float, then fry for an additional minute, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to drain oil. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 881.6 calories, Carbohydrate 81.1 g, Cholesterol 218.1 mg, Fat 46.7 g, Fiber 4.1 g, Protein 33.5 g, SaturatedFat 8.3 g, Sodium 1304.7 mg, Sugar 4.2 g
MUSSELS ON THE HALF SHELL
I buy "New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels" on the half shell frozen from my supermarket. They are quite reasonable, and cooked this way, I think, very delicious. They make a terrific appetizer. I developed this recipe by taking the one on the box and adding lots of extra flavour.
Provided by Paja9203
Categories Mussels
Time 15m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Thaw the mussels.
- Drain them well, squeezing out extra liquid from the mussels.
- Put them on a cookie sheet.
- In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, butter, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Squeeze the lemon over the mussels.
- Put the bread crumb mixture equally on the mussels and press down a little.
- Broil for 5 to 6 minutes until the bread crumb mixture is crunchy and brown and the mussles are cooked.
- Serve and enjoy!
CRUNCHY SOFT-SHELL CRABS
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, quick, main course
Time 20m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Soak crabs in a bowl of buttermilk.
- In a deep fryer or saucepan, heat 4 inches of oil to 375 degrees.
- Whisk together cornmeal and flour, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove crabs from buttermilk, letting excess drip back into bowl. Coat crabs evenly in the cornmeal mixture. Working in batches, fry until golden brown and crisp all over, turning if needed, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. While warm, season with salt. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
PREBAKED PIE SHELL
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour with the lard, butter, and salt. Mix lightly with your fingertips until the dough forms grape-sized pieces. You should still be able to see chunks of fat.
- Stir in the iced water. Lightly knead, handling the dough as little as possible, until the dough forms a ball. Add a little more iced water if necessary. Transfer to a plastic bag and shape into a log. Cut into 2 pieces and place each inside an airtight bag. Seal the bags, pressing out any air, and chill for 1 hour or as long as 3 days. The pie dough can be frozen for as long as a week. Roll out half of the dough to a 12 inch round about 1/8 inch thick and use it to line a buttered and floured 10 inch pie pan, pressing the dough well into the bottom and up the sides without stretching. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut out a circle of aluminum foil or parchment paper and fit it into the chilled pie shell. Fill with rice, beans, or ceramic pie weights and bake the pie shell for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are just golden and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove the paper and the weights and return the shell to the oven to finish cooking for 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool on a rack.
GRILLED OYSTERS, NO SHELL NEEDED!
I couldn't find a good grill recipe for these tender morsels, so I created one... they turned out wonderful!
Provided by Linda Rider
Categories Seafood Appetizers
Time 2h
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- 1. Cover a piece of grilling mesh with heavy aluminum foil making rimmed edges so the juices are contained. Oil lightly. Prepare wood charcoal grill adding any wood smoke that you like with seafood or chicken.
- 2. Mix butter, crushed garlic, parsley and Cajun spice (or any spices you prefer)
- 3. Drain a dozen or so of oysters, dry each with paper towel and place on oiled aluminum foil. Dot each one with the butter mixture.
- 4. When outdoor grill is ready, cook oysters on indirect heat, turning occasionally, checking for firmness. Move each one over the coals and brown until they show grill marks and turn a slight brownish red color.
- 5. Serve with hot sauce or any of your favorite dipping sauce for oysters. ENJOY :)
CHOCOLATE SHELL ICE-CREAM TOPPING
Here is a chocolate ice cream topping that has a texture nearly identical to that of the commercial product Magic Shell (which also contains coconut oil), but with a far richer, more fudgy flavor.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories easy, quick, dessert
Time 5m
Yield 3/4 cup (good for 4 to 6 scoops)
Number Of Ingredients 2
Steps:
- Melt the chocolate in a small metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir in the coconut oil and heat until dissolved, about 1 minute. Keep the liquid lukewarm until ready to pour over the ice cream. Chocolate will harden into a shell within a few seconds when spooned over ice cream.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 198, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 21 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 10 grams, Sodium 4 milligrams, Sugar 18 grams
TUNA SHELL SALAD
Do you like tuna but need a new way to serve it? Foll Pat Kordas' lead. "I created this light salad as a way to use tuna in dishes other than sandwiches," the Nutley, New Jersey cook explains. "Mustard and dill enhance the flavor."
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch
Time 25m
Yield 5 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a salad bowl, combine the pasta, tuna, onion and carrot. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and chill until serving.
Nutrition Facts :
RAW OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL WITH CUCUMBER MIGNONETTE
Provided by Tyler Florence
Categories appetizer
Time 1h20m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- For the Oysters:
- Begin by shucking oysters. Find a durable, thick cloth and fold it over several times to create a square; this will steady the oysters as you shuck them and also protect your hand. Using the towel as a mitt, hold the oyster firmly on a flat surface. Insert the tip of your oyster knife between the shell halves, and work it around 1 side to the other as you pry it open. Using the knife, cut the muscles away from the top, flat shell, bend the shell back, and discard it. Run the knife underneath the oyster to detach it completely, but leave it in its shell (take care not to cut the meat itself). Nestle the oysters in a bed of crushed ice or wet rock salt to keep them steady. Serve immediately.
- For the Cucumber Mignonette Sauce:
- In a small bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, shallots, ginger, cucumber, sugar and black pepper; mixing with a fork. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to the day before you plan to serve, to allow the flavors to come together. Serve with raw oysters.
- For the Cocktail Sauce:
- Mix ingredients in a blender to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
SHELL BEAN SALAD WITH TOMATOES, CELERY AND FETA
This is a perfect end-of-summer farmers' market dish. It makes a nutritious main salad or a great starter or side dish.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories weekday, salads and dressings
Time 1h
Yield Serves 6 to 8
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Combine the beans, onion, water, crushed garlic, bouquet garni and salt in a heavy saucepan or soup pot, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Taste and adjust salt. Remove and discard the onion, the bouquet garni and the garlic cloves. Drain though a strainer or colander set over a bowl.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the beans, celery, tomatoes, feta and herbs. Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt if desired.
- Mix together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil. Toss with the salad, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 188, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 16 grams, Fat 11 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 951 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
GRILLED SOFT-SHELL CRABS
Provided by Food Network
Time 35m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Clean crabs by removing gills and cutting off the eyes and mouth.
- Place crabs on pan or aluminum foil. Place on grill over a low fire. Baste the crabs with the Lemon Butter Sauce. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Continue to baste during cooking. Before serving, top each crab with a slice of tomato and a small amount of mozzarella cheese. Allow cheese to melt. Remove from grill. Serve immediately.
- Add lemon juice and other seasonings. Seasonings may be adjusted for personal taste. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.
ONE PIE SHELL
Make and share this One Pie Shell recipe from Food.com.
Provided by COOKGIRl
Categories Dessert
Time 40m
Yield 1 pie shell
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In large bowl combine the flour, sugar and salt.
- Cut in the shortening or lard using a pastry blender.
- Lightly beat the egg yolk, water and the apple cider vinegar together in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the flour, mixing with a fork only until moistened. DO NOT overstir.
- Shape the dough into a flat circle. Wrap in plastic or waxed paper. Chill for at least a half hour.
- On a floured cutting board, roll the dough to the diameter of 11 inches. Fit the dough into the pie plate and trim off to within about 1/2" to 1" larger than the size of the pie plate.
- Turn the dough that hangs over the sides under, and crimp edges as desired.
- Fill and bake the pie crust as directed by the recipe you are using.
- YIeld: One 9-inch single pie crust.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1464.3, Fat 99.4, SaturatedFat 25.1, Cholesterol 188.8, Sodium 592.7, Carbohydrate 124, Fiber 4.2, Sugar 4.7, Protein 18.6
Tips for Cooking with Shells:
- Choose fresh, high-quality shells. Look for shells that are plump and have a fresh, briny smell. Avoid shells that are cracked or have a slimy texture.
- Clean the shells thoroughly. Scrub the shells with a stiff brush to remove any dirt or debris. Rinse the shells well with cold water and drain.
- Cook the shells properly. The cooking time for shells will vary depending on the type of shell and the cooking method. Be sure to cook the shells until they are tender and opaque throughout.
- Serve the shells immediately. Shells are best served immediately after cooking. This will help preserve their flavor and texture.
Conclusion:
Cooking with shells is a great way to add flavor and variety to your meals. With a little planning and effort, you can create delicious and impressive dishes that your family and friends will love. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting way to cook, give shells a try.
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