So this girl that I have gone out with a few times now really likes seafood, like me.  It's kinda hard finding a good seafood resteraunt around Detroit that doesn't cost me a mint so I told her I would cook her soft shelled crabs next week.  I have no idea how to cook them.  If you guys have any suggestions that will help me out, I would greatly appreciate it.  Also, any idea where to buy fresh seafood around detroit/southfield?  Thanks

Keving67

Sorry, I hate crab..


aviator  [img]www.milpubs.com/aviator.gif[/img]

Try this:

Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine

2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 live soft-shelled crabs (preferably 4 to 5 inches wide), cleaned
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup self-rising cake flour, see cook's note
1 cup yellow cornmeal
Vegetable oil, for frying

Accompaniment: Cilantro Lime Tartar Sauce, recipe below
Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, salt, and pepper and pour into a 3-quart shallow dish. Add crabs and soak, covered and chilled, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat enough vegetable oil to measure 1-inch deep in a wide shallow skillet to very hot.

Whisk together flour and cornmeal and transfer to a large sealable plastic bag. Lift 1 crab out of buttermilk, letting excess drip off, and shake in bag to coat with flour. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a tray. Repeat with remaining crabs, arranging them in 1 layer as coated. Shallow-fry the crabs, 4 at a time, turning over halfway through frying (watch out for popping or use a frying screen), until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Reheat oil to very hot between batches. Drain crabs on paper towels and serve with tartar sauce.

Cooks' note: If you can't find self-rising cake flour, you can use 1 cup all-purpose or cake flour mixed with 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Cilantro-Lime Tartar Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno chile (including seeds)

Stir together all sauce ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups


Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

I dunno the recipe but the Japanese way works for me.  Lightly fried up in some batter.

Never seen soft shell cooked any other way, though I'm sure it exists.

Throw them on a grill about 10min add come hot sauce or whatever. Put them between bread or roll and eat them.
Also you can Steam them add some spices to a cheese cloth and throw it in the pot. With soft shell you can chomp away. Now if it is Blue points then you have to take the shell off and the legs before you eat them. You are Talking about SOFT SHELL.

Thanks for all the recipes guys
Keving67