Soft-Shell Crab Toast Recipe - NYT Cooking

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Total Time20 minutesRating5(153)CommentsRead comments

Broiling is perhaps the easiest way to cook soft shell crabs. All you do is oil up the crabs, lay them on a baking sheet and broil them until crisp and bronzed on both sides — under 10 minutes. It's also one of the tastiest ways to cook them: their edges crisp and char while their bellies swell with sweet, saline juices. Here, the broiled crabs are laid on toast and served as open-faced sandwiches. The toast absorbs the crab juices and also heightens the crunch. If you're pressed for time, or if you're a purist, you can skip the parsley jalapeño sauce. A lemon wedge is all you really need to bring out the sweetness of the crab.

Featured in: A Soft-Shell Crab to Top Your Toast

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Ingredients

Yield:6 appetizer servings, or 3 main course servings

2cups packed Italian parsley leaves
2jalapeño peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
2teaspoons fresh lemon juice, more as needed
¼teaspoon salt, more as needed
½cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
6(½-inch-thick) slices country-style bread or pain de mie
1large garlic clove, halved and peeled
Unsalted butter, as needed (optional)
6(3-ounce) wild jumbo soft-shelled crabs, cleaned
Black pepper, as needed
Lemon wedges, for serving

Add ingredients to Grocery ListIngredient Substitution GuideNutritional Information

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

340 calories; 22 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 399 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Preparation

Make the recipe with usWatch

Step 1
In a blender, combine parsley, jalapeño, lemon juice and salt. Add oil and 3 tablespoons water. Purée until sauce is smooth, adding additional water if needed, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a thick yet pourable sauce. Transfer sauce to a bowl and add more salt or lemon juice, or both, if needed.
Step 2
Heat broiler. Place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Rub toast with cut garlic. Drizzle with oil or slather with butter (butter is nice on pain de mie), remove from pan and set aside.
Step 3
Lightly coat crabs with oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer, belly side up, to a large baking sheet (you can use the same one you used for the toast). Broil, turning once, until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes per side.
Step 4
Place one crab on top of each toast. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over each crab and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

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Ratings

5 out of 5153 user ratingsYour rating1 star2 stars3 stars4 stars5 starsSubmit

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Comments

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All Comments
Private

I always pan fry dry in a non stick skillet. This is a much better idea. Broil the toast first and add rubbed garlic, so clever! My new and only way to enjoy this seasonal delicacy. Thank you Melissa Clark.

Is this helpful? 19

A delightfully UNmessy way to cook softshell crabs. It will be my go to!

Is this helpful? 9

Made this, using NYT recipe for Japanese Milk Bread for the toast. In addition to the parsley sauce, spread a bit of Kewpie mayo on the toast before topping with the soft shell crab and sauce -- highly recommend!

Is this helpful? 6

I loved this. So simple, and no frying, the sauce is yummy and easy and the toasted bread rubbed with garlic and oil was the perfect addition.

Is this helpful?

I love broiling the crabs and serving them on toast. (I usually do them on the grill, which is also nice.) But I don't find that the parsley/jalapeno sauce adds all that much. Maybe it's missing an ingredient or two?

Is this helpful?

An easy and delicious way to enjoy soft shell crabs. I usually do them on the grill, but if it's raining or I'm just feeling lazy, the broiler is a great alternative.

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Recipe Tags

Jalapeño
Soft-Shell Crab
Toast
Quick
Appetizer
Main Course

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