Soft-Shell Crabs With Spiced Cucumber Salad

By Florence Fabricant

Published April 28, 2009

Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(15)
Comments
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As we started tasting the German- and Czech-style American pilsners, Eric Asimov said he’d like a hot dog. No need to stop there. Spicy or fried foods, many kinds of seafood and fish, and barbecue suit these golden, refreshingly bitter beers. I chose soft-shell crabs, crisped with an Indian-style chickpea-flour crust and served over spiced cucumbers. Buy the crabs alive, not frozen. Fish markets will take care of killing and cleaning them. Keep the crabs refrigerated and use them by the next day.The crabs are sold by size, but most markets do not offer choices. You will usually find the larger ones, called “jumbos,” which have bodies 5 to 5 ½ inches across. This recipe is designed for jumbos, with two per person as a main course or one each in a picnic-ready sandwich on a bun slathered with chili-fueled mayonnaise and layered with cucumber salad. Pour another brew and dig in.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings, 8 in buns

FOR THE SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH SPICED CUCUMBER SALAD

  • 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, sliced thin

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • 2 teaspoons sriracha or other red chili paste

  • 6 to 8 tablespoons grapeseed oil or other vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger

  • ⅓ cup thinly sliced shallots

  • ¼ cup minced, seeded red or green chilies, or a mixture

  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint

  • 2 large eggs

  • ⅔ cup chickpea flour

  • 2 teaspoons curry powder

  • 8 jumbo soft-shell crabs

  • 8 lightly toasted hamburger buns, optional

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

60 grams carbs; 137 milligrams cholesterol; 822 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 33 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 54 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 789 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 11 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. FOR THE SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH SPICED CUCUMBER SALAD

    1. Step 1

      Place cucumbers in a colander, toss with salt and set over a bowl to drain. Mix mayonnaise and sriracha, and set aside in a small serving dish.

    2. Step 2

      Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat in a small skillet and add mustard seeds. When sizzling, add ginger, shallots and chilies. Sauté until shallots soften. Remove from heat, add vinegar and stir. Rinse and drain cucumbers, place in a shallow serving bowl and fold in shallot mixture. Sprinkle with mint.

    3. Step 3

      In a bowl, lightly beat eggs with 1 tablespoon water. Mix chickpea flour and curry powder, and spread on a plate. Dip crabs in egg, then in flour mixture. Heat remaining oil in a large skillet. Add crabs and sauté over medium-high heat until lightly browned, turning once. You may need two shifts. Remove from pan and arrange on cucumber salad.

    4. Step 4

      Serve, with red chili mayonnaise on the side, or serve on buns spread with mayonnaise and piled with salad.

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Es

I made the cucumber salad as a side to grilled soft shells. It was yummy. Substituted red pepper flakes for the chili paste and used basil instead of mint. Very nice.

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