Soft-Shell Crab With Preserved Lemon And Almonds - NYT Cooking

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Total Time30 minutesRating5(80)CommentsRead comments

Featured in: A Fresh Approach to Soft-Shell Crabs

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

½cup all-purpose flour
1teaspoon ground cumin
1teaspoon ground coriander
⅛teaspoon cayenne
2teaspoons paprika
1teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
4soft-shell crabs, cleaned (see note)
8tablespoons (¼ pound) butter, melted
½cup sliced almonds
2tablespoons diced preserved lemon
2tablespoons chopped cilantro
Lemon wedges, for serving

Add ingredients to Grocery ListIngredient Substitution GuideNutritional Information

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

355 calories; 30 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 9 grams protein; 67 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

Step 1
Season the flour for dredging: mix together flour, cumin, coriander, cayenne, paprika and salt in a shallow bowl. Quickly dip both sides of the crabs in flour mixture and shake off excess.
Step 2
Put 4 tablespoons melted butter in a large, wide cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When butter is hot, carefully put in the crabs, top side down. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, until well crisped and cooked through. Remove crabs to a warmed platter. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Step 3
Add 4 more tablespoons melted butter to pan and add sliced almonds. Stir to coat and cook until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add preserved lemon and cilantro and turn off heat.
Step 4
Spoon butter sauce over crabs, surround with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Tip

To clean the crabs, remove the gills and apron, then cut off mouth and eyes with scissors. (Or have your fishmonger do it for you.) For step-by-step instructions visit this guide.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

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Ratings

5 out of 580 user ratingsYour rating1 star2 stars3 stars4 stars5 starsSubmit

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Comments

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All Comments
Private

I like all of these flavors very much but I feel like they overwhelmed the wonderful crab flavor that I like so much in soft shell crabs. When I was cooking them someone came in and said “wow making lamb?” I realized that was because of the association of cumin with lamb and confirmed it. I’m glad I made this dish but in the future I think I’ll just do brown butter, almonds, some capers and a bit of parsley.

Is this helpful? 8

I used these seasonings with cracked, precooked Dungeness crab. I heated some olive oil in a pan, tossed in the crab and the dry spices (no flour) and sautéed for a couple of minutes. Then I threw in 1/2 cup of stock (white wine would work too), covered the pan and braised for 10 min to heat the crab. Then I uncovered, raised the heat to boil off the liquid, and added the almonds and lemon. Nice dish.

Is this helpful? 2

This recipe sounded really good, but I agree with another comment that it overpowers the delicious flavor of the crab itself. (then again, I grew up along with Chesapeake eating soft crabs very simply prepared.) Plus, it was way too many almonds – half as much, 1/4 cup, would’ve been plenty. I didn’t have a problem with the cooking time, 2-3 minutes a side was fine, but the softcrabs were at room temperature and on the small side.

Is this helpful?

Half the amount of whole wheat flour with the same amt of the spices. 4 or 5 mins each side.

Is this helpful?

Made as is but without the almonds. Fantastic. The crabs were fresh and the spices weren’t at all overpowering. A five star meal in 20 min. Also love the similar NYTC recipe with the curry butter, but this was easier.

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Recipe Tags

Almond
Preserved Lemon
Soft-Shell Crab
Dinner
Quick
Main Course
Spring

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