Soft-Shell Crabs With Brown Butter

Ingredients

• 4 large or 8 small soft-shell crabs, dressed for cooking
• ¼ cup milk
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• ½ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 slices peeled lemon
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    294 calories; 17 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 20 grams protein; 101 milligrams cholesterol; 299 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 servings

Preparation

1. Put the crabs in a shallow dish in one layer and add the milk, cayenne, salt and pepper. Turn the crabs in the milk.
2. Dip the crabs immediately into the flour, turning to coat them well. Shake off the excess flour.
3. Heat the oil until quite hot in a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the crabs in one layer. Add the crabs, belly side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes (more or less, depending on the size of the crabs) until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.
4. Transfer the crabs to a warm serving platter. Garnish with lemon slices.
5. Wipe out the skillet with a clean cloth and add the butter. When it is bubbling and turned hazelnut color add the lemon juice and pour the mixture over the crabs. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

• To clean soft-shell crabs, kill the crabs by piercing between the eyes with a knife. Lift the pointed ends of the shells and scrape out the spongy portions between the shells and the body. Put the crabs on their backs and cut off the tails.

10 minutes