pan fried soft shell crabs

6 Servings 

Ingredients:



• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 12 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
• 12 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 3 lemons, cut in half

Preparations:

1.  Whisk flour, salt, and pepper; place on a dinner plate. Dredge 2 soft-shell crabs in flour mixture, shaking off excess (make sure crabs are completely coated)

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. The oil should be very hot but not smoking. Place flour-coated crabs, back side down, in sauté pan; reduce heat to medium if pan starts to smoke. Sauté crabs until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes (do not stand too close to pan; crabs tend to spatter during cooking). Turn crabs over, and cook 2 minutes more.

3. Add 1 tablespoon butter and a large pinch of parsley to skillet. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over crabs. Keep warm in a low oven. Repeat process until all the crabs are cooked.