Equipment
Ingredients
Main
- 120 ml milk
- 2 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 ml tabasco sauce
- 12 soft-shell crab, cleaned
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 30 ml olive oil
- 15 g shallot, finely chopped
- 120 g almonds, sliced
- 30 ml lemon juice, fresh
- 30 g parsley, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 683 kcal
- Protein
- 59 g
- Carbohydrates
- 45 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1219 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 17 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 19 mg
- Potassium
- 907 mg
- Calcium
- 340 mg
- Iron
- 6.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 100 mg
- Phosphorus
- 228 mg
- Zinc
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 104 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 18 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 9.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 129 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.44 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.62 mg
- Niacin
- 3.9 mg
- Folate
- 112 mcg
- Water
- 51 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a shallow dish, whisk together 120ml milk, salt, pepper, and 1ml Tabasco sauce until combined.
Add the 12 cleaned crabs to the milk mixture and turn them to ensure they are evenly coated.
Place 180g flour in a separate shallow dish. Remove crabs from the milk, allow the excess to drip off, and dredge them in the flour, shaking off any extra.
Heat 30ml of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Place 6 crabs in the skillet and cook for 3 minutes per side until the coating is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 63°C (145°F).
Transfer the cooked crabs to a warm platter. Add the remaining 30ml of vegetable oil to the skillet and repeat the frying process with the remaining 6 crabs.
Discard the used oil from the skillet and wipe the surface clean with paper towels.
Add 30g butter and 30ml olive oil to the clean skillet over medium heat. Add 15g chopped shallots and 120g sliced almonds.
Cook while shaking the pan until the almonds are lightly browned and the butter is bubbling.
Stir in 30ml lemon juice, then pour the hot almond butter sauce over the crabs on the platter.
Garnish the dish with 30g of finely chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure crabs are patted dry before the milk bath if they are very wet to help the coating adhere.
- Use a high-quality butter as it forms the base of the final sauce flavor.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Best consumed immediately; coating will lose crispness.
Reheating: Reheat in a 190°C (375°F) oven until crisp.
Troubleshooting
Crab coating is soggy or soft
Cause: Oil temperature was too low or the pan was overcrowded
Fix: Increase heat slightly for the second side, but do not overcook
Prevention: Ensure oil is shimmering before adding crabs and maintain space between them
Almonds taste bitter
Cause: Almonds were over-browned in the butter
Fix: Cannot be fixed; must restart the sauce
Prevention: Remove from heat as soon as almonds turn golden; they continue to cook in the hot fat
Cultural Context
Soft-shell crabs are a seasonal delicacy in American coastal cuisine, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region, where blue crabs are harvested immediately after molting.
