I love soft shell crabs! Margo, not so much. We were vacationing at Massanutten near Harrisonburg, Virginia a few years ago and they had soft shell crabs at their own Fareways Restaurant. They were the best that I had ever eaten. I told the waitress, who relayed the message to the chef, and he came out to our table for a chat. He actually ended up sharing his recipe with us. The recipe has changed slightly over the years.
This is just for one serving so you will have to adjust. Also the size of the crabs is a personal choice. I like the bigger soft shells.
You will need:
2 or 3 soft shell crabs
1/2 cup of flour
Old Bay to taste
4 tbls extra virgin olive oil
2 tbls butter
2 tbls finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbls capers
salt and pepper
Rinse soft shell crabs and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge in the flour and Old Bay. Heat a skillet to medium with the olive oil. Add the crabs. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the crabs and place on a plate. I put this plate on an extra burner on the lowest setting to keep them warm. Add the butter and shallots to the skillet. Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes to soften the shallots. Add the wine and capers and reduce to about half. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour this mixture over the crabs and enjoy!
