Recipe - Weighted And Panfried Soft-Shell Crabs With Lime-Garlic Mojo

6 small Softshell crabs; cleaned
Salt and pepper
1 cup Buttermilk
1 cup Flour
One half teaspoon Cayenne
Unsalted butter for pan
frying
2 teaspoon Olive oil
2 Garlic cloves; finely minced
1 Lime; Juice of
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Minced fresh cilantro

Season the crabs with salt and pepper and place in the buttermilk. Soak for
1 hour. Remove and pat dry.

While the crabs are soaking, prepare the mojo: heat the olive oil in a
small, heavy saucepan over a moderately low flame. Add the garlic and cook
slowly for 5 minutes, or until golden, not brown. Add the lime juice, stir,
and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and add
cilantro. Refrigerate until cool.

To prepare the crabs: In a bowl, mix together the flour, cayenne and salt
and pepper to taste. Dredge the crabs in the flour, shaking off the excess.
Choose a heavy frying pan (or pans) that will hold all the crabs in one
layer without crowding. Place the pans over moderately high heat and add
enough butter to create a thin layer (about One fourth inch) in each pan. After
the foam subsides, add the floured crabs and weight them (with bricks or
anything you can improvise). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the crabs
are golden brown on the underside. Turn the crabs over, and weight them
again. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, or until the other side is golden
brown. Transfer them to paper towels to drain briefly, dab each crab with
some of the mojo and serve.

Yield: 2