Soft Shell Crabs with Corn Relish, Field Greens and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 1 hr 30 min
- Prep: 1 hr
- Cook: 30 min
Ingredients
1 quart peanut oil
8 ounces all-purpose flour
2 ounces cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup club soda
4 egg whites, beaten until foamy
8 small soft shell crabs, cleaned
Corn Relish, recipe follows
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, recipe follows
2 cups mixed field greens, for garnish
Corn Relish:
2 ears corn, husked and silk removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces asparagus, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1 small jalapeno, diced, without seeds
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
Dash hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
1/2 cup roasted red pepper puree
4 shallots, diced
4 ounces cider vinegar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 ounces lemon juice
8 ounces unsalted butter, cubed
Salt, to taste
Directions
- In a deep saucepan, heat peanut oil to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, pepper, fennel and salt. Whisk in club soda and egg whites to form a smooth batter. Dip soft shell crabs in batter and fry in batches until golden brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve crabs with Corn Relish. Drizzle with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and garnish with a pile of greens.
Corn Relish:
- Steam corn kernels until crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes, set aside. Cut the kernels from the cob into a mixing bowl.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and mushrooms, cook until mushrooms give off their liquid and start to brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add red pepper, jalapeno and green onion. Cook just until scallions wilt, about 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil. Stir in corn mixture and cook until corn is heated through.
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
- Combine pepper puree, shallots, and vinegar in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer until shallots are tender. Add cream and stir to combine. Add lemon juice and whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time, until sauce is smooth and thickened. Season with salt, to taste.