Recipe - Sauteed Soft Shell Crabs With Sugar Snap Peas And Hazelnuts

1 Stick unsalted butter
4 small To mediumsize soft shell
crabs
Milk for soaking crabs
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
One half cup Allpurpose flour
2 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
1/3 cup Toasted chopped hazelnuts
One fourth pound Fresh sugar snap peas,
blanched, refreshed,
drained and cut into thin
slices on a diagonal

In a small saucepan melt 5 tablespoons of the butter over moderately low
heat. With a spoon remove the foam off the top and discard. Spoon the clear
butter into a small bowl leaving any milkywatery residue at the bottom of
the saucepan. Discard the residue. The clear butter is clarified butter and
has a higher smoking point now that the milk solids have been removed.

Clean the soft shell crabs by first cutting away the eyes and mouth. Lift
up the top side flaps and pull out the feathery gills. Turn the crab over
and fold back the tail flap, also called the apron, and pull away from the
body and discard. Place crabs in a shallow dish and add enough milk to
cover. Soak crabs for 10 to 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Season each crab with salt and pepper. Dredge each crab in the flour and
shake off any excess. In a heavy large skillet heat the clarified butter
over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Carefully place the
crabs in the skillet, shellside down; they tend to sputter and pop. Cook
the crabs until they begin to blister and then flip. Transfer skillet to
the preheated oven and bake for 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate skillet melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter
over moderate heat and cook until the butter just begins to brown. Add the
sherry vinegar and remove from the heat. Add the chopped nuts and blanched
peas, tossing to coat and combine. Season to taste with salt and freshly
ground pepper.

Place a crab on each serving plate and top with brown butter sauce, nuts
and peas.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe by: Cooking Live Show #CL8868 Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #597 by
Angele Freeman jfreeman@netusa1.net on Apr 29, 1997