soft shell crabs

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 live soft-shelled crabs, cleaned

1 cup Wondra or all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons Clarified Butter

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Combine milk, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish and soak crabs 5 minutes. Lift 1 crab out of milk, letting excess drip off, and dredge in flour. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a tray. Repeat with remaining crabs, arranging them in 1 layer as coated.

Heat clarified butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté crabs, upside down, 2 minutes. Turn over and sauté until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Transfer crabs to a serving dish. Spritz with lemon juice and sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 2-4 depending on the size of the crabs

To clarify butter:

Cut butter into 1-inch pieces and melt in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes. Skim froth and slowly pour butter into a measuring cup, leaving milky solids in bottom of pan. Discard milky solids.

Note:

1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter will yield 5 to 6 tablespoons of clarified butter.