Soft-Shell Crab Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence and JoAnn Cianciulli

Show: Food 911Episode: Crazy for Soft Shell Crab

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (5)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(5)

Cook Time:
10 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 25 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Cook: 10 min
Total:: 1 hr 35 min

Recipe Tools:

Select a Card Size

Add To My Recipe Box

Success

This recipe was added to your Folder_Name folder.

Do not show this message again

Add To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to add this recipe to your Recipe Box.

Ingredients

Green Goddess Dressing:

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, juiced
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 anchovy fillets
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crabs:

2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon crab boil seasoning
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium soft-shell crabs, cleaned and rinsed
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour

Salad:

2 bunches watercress, trimmed
1 head bibb lettuce, trimmed and hand torn
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 hard boiled egg
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

To make the green goddess dressing: Simply puree the ingredients together in a blender, until light green and creamy. Cover and stick the dressing in the fridge to allow the flavors to come together.

To prepare the soft-shell crabs: Pour the buttermilk in a shallow bowl large enough to hold all the crabs. Season the buttermilk with crab boil seasoning, salt, and pepper. Lay the crabs in the buttermilk mixture and marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 hour; soaking the crabs in buttermilk helps plump them up when cooked. Remove the crabs from the milk bath and let the excess drip off.

Pour 2 inches of oil in a heavy frying pan or large pot and heat to 350 degrees F.

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. 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.

To assemble the salad: combine the watercress, lettuce, and onion slices in a mixing bowl. Pour in 1/2 cup of the green goddess dressing, tossing to coat. Arrange the salad on a serving platter, put the fried crabs on top, and grate the hard boiled egg over the whole thing. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Next Recipe

More recipes? Try these recommendations:

Similar Recipe

Shrimp or Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Creamy Caesar Dressing

Picture of Soft-Shell Crab Salad with Green Goddess Dressing Recipe

Photo: Soft-Shell Crab Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Similar Recipes

Recipes Like This

All About…

Recipe Collections

Showing 1-10 of 25

View all 25 Salad Collections

Comments & Reviews

recipe Soft-Shell Crab Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
DIANA Boston, MA 03-08-2006
Flag

awesome dressing
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

That green goddess dressing is AWESOME. I will be making it again and again and again on my salads. So easy. You just... throw everything in the blender. Thanks Tyler! You're the bomb baby!Read more
recipe Soft-Shell Crab Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
Mackenzie Brooklyn, NY 08-31-2005
Flag

Great first time recipe for a Soft Shell novice.
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I cook a lot, but have never made soft shell crabs. This recipe was easy, and the crabs turned out delicious. The only thing... I would change the second time around would be to put less garlic in the dressing. It was a little too much for me. Everything else was perfect.Read more
recipe Soft-Shell Crab Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
CATHERINE Covington, LA 06-28-2005
Flag

A new twist on an old favorite
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I'm from New Orleans and we eat soft shell crabs whenever they are in season. I bought some Saturday that were so fresh that... they were still wiggling. I was looking for something different and found this recipe. I've never marinated crabs in buttermilk and Tyler was right that it plumped them up when cooked. The crab seasoning gave them just enough spice and the dressing was heavenly.Read more
recipe Soft-Shell Crab Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
DONNA Philadelphia, PA 09-29-2004
Flag

best soft shells ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this the other day when a friend gave me it in my email but forgot to save it after i made the crabs. Let me just say... this GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!Read more
recipe Soft-Shell Crab Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
DENNIS Wheaton, IL 08-10-2004
Flag

Impress your Mom
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Invited my super cook Mom over for dinner a few weeks ago and wanted to try something new and different. The Green Goddess... Dressing was rich in flavor and aroma, and combined with the texture of the salad and the meaty warmness and smooth crunch of the crab made this recipe exquisite on every sensory level. A perfect meal for a summer night eating on the back deck.Read more