To Cook Is To Heal

Round 3 When creating new/original dishes, I'll either scrap it after my first attempt, or continue to make the dish (multiple times) tweaking it as I go. Doing this until I feel that I have created a new and enjoyable recipe.  This, my third attempt at soft shell crab has brought me to that level, a taste good enough to put it down on paper, or a "keeper". I started by preparing a Vietnamese  (Nuroc Cham) dipping sauce as I knew that the crab would have a light flavor that would need enhancement.  The crab itself had even less preparation this time, just dried them (paper towels) and dunked them in unseasoned egg wash and then used plain rice flour for my breading. No spices or other flavors were added.  The frying oil was a mixture of 3 parts grapeseed oil 1 part refined solidified coconut oil. The crab was served with the dipping sauce, along with Carolina Gold rice, and fresh corn on the cob. The crab had a wonderfully slightly nutty finish from the coconut oil. ...

Gone fishin' Wednesdays is a tradition that we enjoy and look forward to regularly. Buying fresh fish weekly gives me time to learn as I cook with ingredients that I am not as familiar with. After living in Colorado for 40+ years, I did not cook and or eat a lot of fresh fish. Living in South Carolina, 30 minutes from the ocean, fresh fish/seafood is now our primary protein choice.   My first attempt with soft shells was a learning experience for me (see previous post "Round 1"). Never having cooked with ingredients like this can be intimidating and costly ( if you screw up ). It took me a week to build up the courage to buy a couple (crabs) and give them a go. I waited until my wife was away visiting family with our grand daughter before I made my first batch of soft shells. That way if it was a failure only I would have to suffer through the results. Call it; "Poppy's Test Kitchen".  After the first meal of soft shells, my takeaway was that I wanted the cr...

Our gone fisin ' Wednesday has brought us a new delicacy, fresh from the local ocean.  Soft Shell Crab. The blue crab have just molted their shell (exoskeleton) and are usually served either fried (breaded) or sauteed with oil and various spices. The new shell is soft enough to eat and gives a nice crunchy texture to the crab. The females, will have red tips on the large pincher claws, or what are called "lips", and the males will have blue or dark claws. Also the genitalia will show the gender, this is on the underside and easy to locate. The female crabs will usually have egg sacks under their shell that add an additional nice flavor when eating. Notice red tips to large pincher claws (female) The soft shells are bought alive and they will need to be either kept cool and protected, or dispatched and used that day. The process of cleaning the soft shells has three simple steps (using scissors); 1. Remove the head. 2. Remove the lungs on both sides. 3. Remo...