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.