Nothing exemplifies summer eating quite like seafood – I’m thinking lobster rolls, fried calamari, octopus ceviche, a pot of steamed mussels eaten al fresco, shrimp po’boys. I could go on with this seafood word association but will spare you. I’d earmarked this recipe for a Cajun-style fried soft-shell crab some time ago but was totally sold when, during my weekly shopping extravaganza at the 75th St. Fairway Market, I saw that soft-shell crabs were on sale. I’m confident cooking most seafood (octopus, squid, mussels) but was a little apprehensive having never tackled crab before.
I’ll eat, and at least taste, literally anything. But in the back of my mind as I lugged my crabs home, I remembered that my dad doesn’t care for soft shells- he doesn’t like the texture of eating that shell. But seriously, what isn’t delectable when it’s dredged, deep fried and then coated in a flavorful butter? I’d eat my left shoe prepared that way.
Any apprehension was completely misguided and a waste of energy, because this summer meal was out of these world. It was one of those rare moments when I eat something I’ve made and I’ve actually blown myself away. More often the opposite happens- as in, after seeing how the proverbial sausage is made I enjoy the meal a lot less than others eating it, though asking my fishmonger to clean these crabs before I took them home probably helped, allowing me to conveniently skip the part of the recipe about cutting their faces off. You should do that, too).
Let me break this recipe down for you, because it’s a 2-for-1 and it makes the perfect summer meal. Soft shell crabs are dredged in buttermilk and flour and fried to golden perfection. While still warm, they’re coated with a Cajun-style butter that you will have whipped up earlier. It’s sweet and just a little bit spicy, and honestly who does not want their fried seafood buttered? To accompany the crab is a just-right coleslaw which even my mayonnaise-hating BFF had seconds of. Made of shredded Napa cabbage, some scallions, a jalapeno, a carrot and a generous bunch of mint, it’s cool, refreshing and just the right amount of acidic next to something fried.
This is truly a restaurant-quality meal with enough flavor to blow your taste buds off, and I mean that in the best way possible. Serve this stunner for a summer dinner party (your guests will wonder at how casual and effortless you make deep-frying look) and I guarantee it will impress whoever is lucky enough to be eating at your house. I just wish it could be me!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Vietnamese garlic chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon Asian seedless red pepper flakes or standard red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
- Salt and pepper
- Peanut oil, for frying
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 large jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 bunch scallions (white and green parts), minced
- 1 small napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup mint leaves, torn into large pieces
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
Instructions
- To make the chile butter, use a rubber spatula to combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside at room temperature so it stays soft (not melted).
- Place the crabs on paper towels so that they stay dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 4 inches of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, dredge the crabs in flour, dip in buttermilk, and then run them back through the flour again. (Use a big, wide bowl for the flour so that you have plenty of room to work with).
- Add the crabs to the oil two or three at a time so that the oil temperature doesn't drop and make your crabs soggy. Fry each batch for 5 to 7 minutes, flipping the crabs once, until the bubbling subsides and they have a nice golden color. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and blot dry. Repeat with the remaining crabs.
- Place 2 to 4 tablespoons of the chile butter (as desired), pre crab, in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Add one hot crab and gently swirl the bowl around to coat the crab with the butter. (You can also use a pastry brush to paint the butter on the crab.) Do this step quickly; the crab should be in the butter just long enough to coat and not to completely melt the butter. Repeat for other crabs and serve with the coleslaw alongside.
- To make the coleslaw, whisk together the mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, vinegar, lime juice, jalapeño and scallions in a large mixing bowl. (Alternatively, puree the scallions, jalapeño, lime juice, vinegar and seasonings in a food processor, then transfer to a mixing bowl and fold in the mayonnaise.) Add the cabbage, mint and carrot and toss until well coated. Taste for seasonings and add more salt as desired.
Notes
From Real Cajun
