Soft-shell crabs with creamy tomato sauce
1 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | tablespoons | Olive oil |
| 6 | Garlic clove; thinly sliced | |
| 6 | larges | Shallots; thinly sliced |
| ½ | teaspoon | Cumin seeds |
| ¼ | teaspoon | Celery seeds |
| ¼ | teaspoon | Crushed red pepper |
| 1 | teaspoon | Salt |
| 1 | teaspoon | Freshly ground black pepper |
| ½ | teaspoon | Sugar |
| 35 | ounces | Tomatoes, whole; packed in juice, drained & chopped |
| 1 | cup | Creme fraiche |
| 1 | cup | Flour |
| 8 | Soft-shell crabs; cleaned | |
| 4 | JUN 1995 073117 ~0600 | |
Directions
YIELD: 4 SERVINGS
In a large nonreactive skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are translucent and the garlic begins to brown, 5 to 6 minutes (don't let the garlic get too brown or it will be bitter). Stir in the cumin and celery seeds, red pepper and ½ teaspoon each of the salt and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the sugar and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. Add the creme fraiche and simmer for 6 minutes longer. Cover and keep warm. (The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat before serving.) Preheat the oven to 250F. On a plate, toss the flour with the remaining ½ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Pat the crabs dry with paper towels and dredge them in the seasoned flour. In a large skillet, preferably nonstick, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over moderately high heat. Add 4 of the crabs and cook, turning once, until red and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the crabs to a heatproof platter and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 4 crabs. To serve, spoon the tomato sauce onto 4 warmed plates and arrange 2 crabs on the sauce on each plate. Recipe from Food & Wine, June, 1991
Submitted By WARING@... (SAM WARING) On