Soft Shell Crab Round 2

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 crab to be the star. Unfortunately the breading that I used was overpowering. Lesson learned. Next time I decide to fry them, I will be use rice flour as the breading, or more toward a tempura style. Also I will replace the heavier peanut oil with a mixture of grapeseed and coconut oils.

Live Soft Shell Crab

Round 2

Leading up to the next weeks fishing expedition, I had lots of time to developed a new, original and interesting recipe. I suppose it is like an artist getting an image in their mind, then transferring it to whatever medium they use in creating their art.  

I decided to saute the soft shells in grape seed oil (neutral taste, high flash point) with salt & pepper, and a small amount of Ghee (easy on the salt).

 

Then serve the crab as a Soft Shell Crab Scrambled Egg Benedict with homemade Hollandaise sauce (seasoned with fresh Meyers Lemon tree leaves) and a side of fresh sea scallops. 

Hollandaise with Meyers Lemon tree leaf

5 eggs (3 servings) would be scrambled with 2 teaspoons mayonnaise (this helps build body in the scrambled eggs), and salt & pepper. Then adding in Havarti and Brie cheese cubes while cooking, thus creating a creamy bed for the crab to sit on. The two cheeses were chosen out of 4 cheese samples, being the mildest and creamiest so they would melt smoother.

Scrambled egg beds with melted cheese

Cheese choices

Cubed for melting

Before serving, I drizzled the crab and scallops with a small amount of the Hollandaise sauce. 


This all would be served with a side of homemade apple sauce and an orange slice wheel drizzled with Lemon flavored White Balsamic vinegar.  

Orange slice wheel with Lemon White Balsamic vinegar

The results were good, the meal was a success, a recipe that I will continue to tweek until satisfied. The interesting part was, the eggs ended up having the most flavor? though not enough to overpower any of the other ingredient. With the crab, scallops, and sauce shining through with their simple and sublime natural flavors. 

Another culinary adventure complete...

W


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