Passport & Plate - Princess Soft-Shell Crabs
Worldwide | Sunday, March 1, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
Remoulade:
1/2 c Miracle Whip
4 scallions; chopped
2 tsp dijon mustard, pub style
1 tsp capers
1 tsp cornichons, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley
Crabs:
1 c whole milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Cajun seasoning
1 c all-purpose flour
4 small live soft-shelled crabs, cleaned (Unless you can't find live, then your frozen. Preferably not tempura covered but if you can only find those I will explain how to fix that problem.)
4 tbsp clarified butter
Meuniere:
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1/4 white wine
1/4 Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 oz lump crab
How to prepare this recipeIf you are trying to serve this dish out of season and can only find tempura covered soft shell crabs I apologize but you are going to have to take the tempura coating off. I found myself in this situation and discovered that if I popped them in the oven at 350 degrees for 7 mins the job was a lot easier. If you can find fresh I urge you to go with those instead. Once the crabs are cleaned you are ready to start.
Make the remoulade first by combining all those ingredients well. Set aside.
Combine milk, salt and pepper in a shallow dish and soak the crabs for 5 mins. While they soak; begin to heat clarified butter in a large skillet, over moderately high heat. After the 5 mins lift the crabs out of the milk, letting the excess drip off. Sprinkle each crab with cajun seasoning and dredge in flour. Saute crabs, upside down for 2 mins. Turn over and saute until golden brown, 2 to 3 mins more.
Transfer crabs to a serving dish. Add butter pieces, wine & Worcestershire sauce to the skillet. Deglaze the pan then add the lump crab and parsley. Cook for 2 mins.
To plate; top each crab with 1/4 of the remoulade and a tbsp of the meuniere. Serve with sides inspired by the sea. I chose a tomato, corn and cucumber salad with a dash of soy sauce and balsamic topped with fried kelp. I also served kelp noodles with a wasabi, soy and peanut butter sauce. You know, just in case Mulan swings in.
The story behind this recipeFood tells the stories of the people who share it. Some stories are classics while others are a little more modern. This story is a mixture of the two.
When I was young I watched The Little Mermaid. At the end of the movie Ariel has to say good bye to her father. (He's a merman and she has legs; it doesn’t make for easy family reunions.) My 8 year old self cried. My father had never been healthy and I thought I would have to say goodbye to him soon. Fast forward 26 years and I am married and have 2 little girls. My father is still here but only just. In Nov. of ‘14 he had heart surgery that didn’t work. It’s uncertain how long he'll be with us but the docs aren’t hopeful.
Ariel isn’t my only connection to Disney; my father took us to a park every couple of years. We never went elsewhere but he worked nearly everyday to bring us to Florida, California and even Paris once. (There's a Disney there!) My oldest is also obsessed with Disney but is there a 3 year old girl who isn’t? She runs around the house dressed up as a rotating assortment of princesses. While trying to decide what recipe to share, Rapunzel had been ever present for 3 days. I was informed that my daughter was not around and I was only to refer to her by her princess name. The baby and I were also given roles. During dinner we played our parts. Wait a minute! What if Rapunzel invited the other princesses over for dinner? What would she serve? There's a scene in The Little Mermaid where Sebastian is almost served as dinner. Soft shell crabs; delicious, and a lovely memory from a date with my husband. Make them a little French to bring in Belle and the sacrifice my dad made to take me to Paris. Bring in some Cajun for Tiana and the room my family stayed in the first time my girls went to Disney. Add a few sea worthy sides and you have a wonderful dinner that could easily be dedicated to Ariel; or my dad, who is taking me and my family to Disney one last time. We will be staying in Ariel's room.
