Recipe courtesy of David Rosengarten
Weighted and Panfried Soft-Shell Crabs with Lime-Garlic Mojo
- Level: Easy
- Yield: Yield: 2 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 2 servings
- Calories
- 699
- Total Fat
- 42
- Saturated Fat
- 24
- Carbohydrates
- 59
- Dietary Fiber
- 3
- Sugar
- 7
- Protein
- 23
- Cholesterol
- 147
- Sodium
- 777
Ingredients
6 small softshell crabs, cleaned
Salt and pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Unsalted butter for pan frying
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
Directions
- Season the crabs with salt and pepper and place in the buttermilk. Soak for 1 hour. Remove and pat dry.
- While the crabs are soaking, prepare the mojo: heat the olive oil in a small, heavy saucepan over a moderately low flame. Add the garlic and cook slowly for 5 minutes, or until golden, not brown. Add the lime juice, stir, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and add cilantro. Refrigerate until cool.
- To prepare the crabs: In a bowl, mix together the flour, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. Dredge the crabs in the flour, shaking off the excess. Choose a heavy frying pan (or pans) that will hold all the crabs in one layer without crowding. Place the pans over moderately high heat and add enough butter to create a thin layer (about 1/4 inch) in each pan. After the foam subsides, add the floured crabs and weight them (with bricks or anything you can improvise). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the crabs are golden brown on the underside. Turn the crabs over, and weight them again. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, or until the other side is golden brown. Transfer them to paper towels to drain briefly, dab each crab with some of the mojo and serve.