Soft-Shell Crabs With Curry Butter
Published June 2, 2015
Evan Sung for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
5 cloves
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
½ teaspoon grated garlic
2 teaspoons grated ginger
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Zest and juice of 1 lime, and lime wedges for garnish
¼ cup unsalted roasted almonds, crushed
½ cup chopped scallions
1 cup rice flour, for dusting (optional)
4 large soft-shell crabs, about 5 ounces each, cleaned
8 ounces tender pea shoots or baby spinach
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
38 grams carbs; 232 milligrams cholesterol; 749 calories; 17 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams saturated fat; 53 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 726 milligrams sodium; 32 grams protein; 1 gram 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.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the curry butter: Put the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cloves in a dry skillet over medium heat. When spices are lightly toasted and fragrant, after a minute or so, grind them to a powder in a mortar or electric spice mill. Add nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne and turmeric.
- Step 2
Put butter in a bowl. Add spices, garlic, ginger, salt and lime zest and juice. Mash seasonings into butter with a wooden spoon. Add crushed almonds and scallions, then mix until well incorporated. (May be prepared several hours ahead, or up to 1 day in advance.)
- Step 3
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons curry butter, let melt and swirl pan to distribute. Dust crabs lightly with rice flour, if using. When butter is foamy, add crabs in one layer and raise heat. Let crabs cook 3 minutes, then turn, using tongs, and cook 3 minutes on the other side. (Be careful, as crabs may spatter.) Remove crabs and keep warm.
- Step 4
Add 4 tablespoons curry butter to pan and let sizzle. Add pea shoots and cook briefly until wilted, 1 minute or less.
- Step 5
Arrange crabs on a warm platter or individual plates. Garnish with wilted pea shoots and lime wedges. Spoon melted curry butter from pan over crabs and serve at once.
With this spicy, buttery soft-shell crab dish, I would suggest a really good German riesling, preferably with discernible sweetness. Spätlese level, intense yet delicate, would be just right. I may even try an aged auslese, sweeter and with more body than spätlese but thrillingly balanced. Riesling is not the only option. A good demi-sec Vouvray offers a similar combination of lively acidity and light sweetness. But if you prefer a dry riesling or Vouvray, those wines would work well, too. So would Champagne or sparkling Vouvray, or a white Burgundy or well-balanced West Coast chardonnay. Something different? A good Spanish godello has the heft to stand up to the butter and spicing, and it should go with the crab beautifully. ERIC ASIMOV
Private Notes
Comments
Great! Don't forget to deglaze the pan with ½ cup of the Riesling you're serving with dinner. Drizzle it across the crabs before serving. Never let that "shrapnel" in the pan go to waste!
Made the curry butter according to the recipe except added the spices, garlic, ginger, scallions, lime zest and juice to 1 stick of butter instead of 2. The flavor was amazing! To cook the crabs, used the technique from Melissa Clark's Soft Shell Crab Toast recipe, lightly brushing the crabs with the curry butter. Served on top of lightly wilted fresh spinach with extra curry butter spooned on top as this recipe instructs. Excellent dish! Will make again for guests.
This is delicious, but you can definitely make do with just one stick of butter unless you're cooking for a crowd. Even if you do the step with the pea shoots or spinach (and do you really want, along with the crabs, to cook your veggies in half a stick of butter?), you'll have some of the curry butter left over. It would be great for sauteed shrimp or scallops.
Outstanding recipe! Made as written except used AP flour, I didn’t have rice flour. In addition to SS crab I also prepared it with some jumbo shrimp as not all family members eat SS crabs. The shrimp worked very well. This will be our go to recipe during SS crab season.
This makes a wonderful compound butter! Use what you need for the recipe and shape the rest into a roll, wrap well, and freeze or chill. Cooks and chefs know that a compound butter is an "ace up the sleeve" to take an otherwise simple dish- sauteed fish, chicken breasts, steak, onto another level.
Excellent, excellent recipe. Licked the plate. Used all powdered spices. Dusted with all purpose flour. Came out perfect. I had collards (made Brazilian style per TCooking - ie quick sauté) and it was a delicious fast substitute. Crabs do pop, so have splatter screen at the ready. Perfect way to cook this seasonal treat.