Soft Shell Crabs with Sorrel

Posted by Damien Burroughs on May 3, 2012 in Dining | 0 comments

Soft Shell Crabs with Sorrel
Recipe by Chef Carmen Quagliata of Union Square Cafe

 

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 4)

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons minced shallots 1 1⁄2 tablespoons white wine 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 3 twists of fresh black pepper 4 ounces sorrel leaves
• 2 tablespoons water

 

Crabs

• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 large leek, split, cut into 1⁄2” pieces, washed
• 2 cups fingerling potatoes, boiled in salted water until tender, cut into 1⁄4” thick slices 1 cup bacon lardons, cut into 1⁄4” dice, rendered, drained from fat
• 1 quart frying oil (either vegetable or canola)
• 4 jumbo soft shell crabs
• 2 cups flour
• 1⁄2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 cups seltzer
• 2 tablespoons minced chives, for garnish

 

METHOD

For the sauce:

1. Mince the shallots and sweat them in butter over medium-low heat. Deglaze the pot with the white wine, bring to a boil, and then add cream, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, turn off flame and let mixture steep for 5 minutes.
2. Place sorrel leaves in a blender. Pour hot shallot/cream mixture over and reserve pot from liquid. Swirl pot with the water and pour into blender. Purée at highest setting for 15 seconds.
3. Chill immediately to preserve the color.

 

For the dish:

1. Give the crabs a quick rinse under cold water. Then, remove the eyes with a pair of scissors. Lift up the tapered points on each side of the top shell to reveal the gills. Pull out and discard them. Turn the crab over and pull off the bottom part of the shell, called the apron.
2. Melt butter in sauté pan. Add leeks and pinch of salt and pepper, cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add potatoes and bacon lardons, stir to combine, and cook until heated through – about 5 minutes. Set pan aside in a warm spot.
3. Mix flour and graham cracker crumbs together in a bowl. Heat frying oil in 12” high- sided pan until wavy but not smoking. While the oil is coming up to temperature, dip crab in seltzer, then in flour mixture. Repeat with all crabs. Place prepared crabs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper, not stacked.
4. When the oil and crabs are ready, place crabs in pan top side down first. Cook over high heat until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes. Carefully turn the crabs over and fry on other side until golden brown, about another 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt immediately.
5. Spoon the sorrel sauce onto 4 hot plates. Evenly divide the potato-leek mixture onto the plates, place crispy crab on the sorrel sauce, sprinkle with chives, and serve.