How to Eat Soft Shell Crab: Best Crab Recipe | Tasting Table
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
30 minutes
Servings:
4 servings
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup sherry vinegar
  • ¼ cup peeled black garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 half of a split garlic bulb
  • Pinch of saffron
  • 5 pounds PEI mussels, purged and beards removed
  • 1½ cups (½ a 750-milliliter bottle) dry white wine
  • ½ stick butter
  • ½ cup rice flour
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1¼ cups water
  • 4 soft-shell crabs
  • 2 cups toasted pumpkin seeds
Directions
  1. Make the sweet-and-sour black garlic: In a saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat until it forms a dark caramel, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the water and vinegar. Add the black garlic and Aleppo pepper, and purée with a hand blender until smooth. Season with salt.
  2. Make the saffron mussel jus: In a large pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, the garlic half and saffron, and gently sweat for about 4 minutes. Add the mussels and wine, cover, and increase the heat to high. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until all the mussels are open.
  3. Strain the mussels, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Add it to a saucepan with the butter, and using a hand blender, evenly mix all the ingredients. Set aside in a warm place until ready to use. (The mussels and remaining liquid can be served alongside the crabs.) 4. Make the tempura batter: Combine all the tempura ingredients and keep cold until needed. (If you have an iSi canister, transfer the batter, charge twice and keep cold for a lighter texture.) 5. Prepare the soft-shell crabs: Preheat either a deep fryer or a pot of oil to 350°. Clean the crabs by using scissors to cut the faces, gills and tail plates off. Lightly coat the crabs in the batter and fry until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. With a pastry brush, liberally brush the black garlic mixture on top of each crab. Roll each crab in toasted pumpkin seeds to completely cover.
  5. Lastly, lightly froth the mussel jus with a hand blender and liberally spoon it around each crab and serve.