Soft Shell Crab Round 3

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. The dipping sauce worked perfect and was not overpowering. 


Recipe below:

Poppy's Fried Soft Shell Crab With Nuroc Cham Sauce

★★★★★

Poppy's Originals

Prep Time: 30 min 

Cook Time: 10 min 

Total Time: 40 min 

Difficulty: Medium 

Servings: 2 

Source: Poppy's Original

INGREDIENTS

2 live female Soft Shell crabs

3/4 cups Grapeseed oil (+/-)

1/4 cup refined solidified Coconut oil

1 large egg

3/4 cup rice flour (+/-)


Nuroc Cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce)

1/4 cup lime juice (approx. 2 limes)

3 Tbsp rice vinegar (regular or seasoned)

1 clove garlic minced or grated

1 inch ginger, freshly grated (1 Tbsp +/-)

3 Tbsp premium fish sauce

2 Tbsp fine sugar

3 dried Cheyenne peppers

2 large Meyers lemon tree leaves

1 Tbsp finely chopped Lemongrass

1 tsp crushed roasted Shallot (+/-)


Optional Additions :

1 green Thai chili, finely chopped

1 Tbsp cilantro stems, finely chopped

2 scallions thinly sliced

DESCRIPTION

The simplicity of the ingredients really help the Soft Shell crab become the star of this dish. The Nuroc Cham is not overpowering, and becomes a flavorful accompaniment to the crab.

DIRECTIONS

Clean the crabs by removing the head, lungs and genitalia with scissors (make sure to use the crabs immediately or the same day, storing refrigerated).
Dry the crabs with paper towels.
Beat one egg in a bowl and set aside.
Place rice flour in shallow bowl and set aside.
Put oils into fryer, Wok or any pan used for frying. Heat to 350-375 degrees.
Dip crab in egg and coat all sides. Transfer crab to flour and coat all sides and legs.
Lay crab into hot oil and fry until golden brown, flipping once. (3-7minutes).
Remove from oil and either drain on a metal rack or paper towels. Serve immediately with dipping sauce and your favorite sides.

Nuroc Cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce)
These measurements are for a mild sauce which complements the soft shells. Adjust as you desire.
Dissolve sugar in 2 Tbsp hot water. Whisk and let cool.
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, stir, taste and make adjustments. Hotter (more chili pepper)? more fish sauce? more citrus? you decide. Careful on adding to much heat (peppers) as it can ruin your palate for the meal.
Prepare the sauce ahead of time if possible. You can store the sauce in an airtight container for a week or more.

W


 

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 19, 2024 at 6:26 PM

    Perfecting it! Yummy! I do love a good tempura♥️

    ReplyDelete

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