(With a red pepper coulis)
I'm lucky Ali loves soft shelled crabs because I don't know if I would have tried cooking them otherwise. You want to buy them as fresh as possible. Ideally buy them alive, and have the fish monger clean them, go home and cook.
Ingredients
2 soft shell crabs, cleaned, patted dry
Flour
2 T Butter
Salt, Pepper, Paprika
2 Tablespoons EVOO
Directions
Season both sides of the crab with Salt, Pepper and Paprkia. Add a layer of flour to a shallow baking dish and lightly dredge the crabs in flour, shaking off any excess. Place large sauté pan over med to med high heat and add butter and EVOO. Once ready, add crabs top side down. Lightly press the claws down so they cook too. Cook approx 3 min, then flip and cook another 2 min (they cook very fast). Remove from heat.
Red Pepper Coulis
A coulis is a simple sauce made of puréed vegetables or fruits, which can be served hot or cold. I roast my peppers to remove the skin and add another layer of flavor.
Ingredients
2 red bell peppers
1 shallot, chopped
3 T EVOO
1 T red wine vinegar
Directions
Roast the red peppers directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning occasionally, until the peppers are blackened all over. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover and rest 10 min. Peel the peppers and discard the skins, seeds and cores. Coarsely chop the peppers. In a food processor, combine the peppers with the olive oil, shallot and vinegar and purée until very smooth. Season the coulis with salt and white pepper. Taste, and adjust accordingly.
To serve, I slice my crabs in half and place then standing upright on a bed of seasoned micro-green (like baby arugula). The drizzle the coulis around the crab (not on top).
