They’re baaack! Soft-shell crabs are back and the first taste of the season was phenomenal. They are so succulent and juicy they seem to be a tiny piece of the ocean itself. In this recipe i matched them with another spring staple – pea shoots simply saute  in olive oil and garlic and a reduction of orange juice emulsified with rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. If you have a lot of imagination you can think of it as a refined version of General Tso chicken. Or should i say Admiral Tso in this case?

The sweet and subtle briny flavor of fresh blue crab is truly the star of the show here. Legend has it that blue crabs, like the ocean, are influenced by the phases of the moon. In their natural environment, blue crabs begin shedding their outgrown shells on the first full moon of May to become – soft-shell crab. Legend got it wrong this time. Those were cooked on the last full moon of April. Must be global warming or something.

I need to talk to Al Gore about all this.

This dish is salty and sweet, crunchy and soft and deeply, deeply satisfying. The best part? It can be put together in a very short time. Go ahead, start hunting for those soft shell crabs. The season has just begun.

• Crispy Soft-Shell Crabs with Pea Shoots & Orange-Sesame Emulsion

• serves 4
• 

• • For the crispy soft-shell crabs:

  • 8 soft-shell crabs (ask your fishmonger to clean them for you)
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • salt and pepper
  • canola or peanut oil for frying
  • black and white sesame seeds for garnish

  • For the orange-sesame emulsion & pea shoots:

  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
  • 1 lb fresh pea shoots, cleaned
  • olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

  • For the crispy soft-shell crabs:

  • Place the flour and milk in two separate bowls. Season the flour with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the oil to 350’F in a fryer or a deep stock pot. Dip 2 or 3 soft-shell crabs at the time in milk, then into the flour making sure to coat them well. Fry them 3 at the time for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towel. Serve immediately with the sautee pea shoots and orange-sesame emulsion. Garnish with black and white sesame seeds.

  For the orange-sesame emulsion and pea shoots:

  • Reduce the orange juice in a small saucepan until you have about 1/4 cup left. Let it cool. Whisk in the rice wine vinegar and slowly add the sesame oil and grapeseed oil to create an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Saute the pea shoots in olive oil with garlic until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Tags: Appetizer, Seafood