Soft-Shell Crabs in a Meunière Sauce with Capers

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soft-shell crabs

1/2 cup milk

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

4  tablespoons "unsalted" butter, divided

1 5/8-inch slice of lemon

1 Tbsp Capers per crab

Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

Place the crabs in a bowl of milk. Season the flour with the salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the crabs in the seasoned flour.

In a wide skillet, melt two tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Place the other two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.

Melt the butter in the pot and continue to gently cook it until the butter solids turn golden brown. Add in the capers and lemon slice and remove from the heat.

Place the crabs in the skillet with the butter and sauté until golden brown, turning once, about 2-3 minutes per side. Arrange on a platter, and pour the lemony butter sauce over the crabs. Garnish with parsley and/or extra lemon wedges.

Blackened Chicken or Fish Recipe

This is a really tasty, fast and easy blackened chicken or fish recipe. 

2 Chicken Breasts 
2 Tbsp butter 
1 Tbsp Olive oil (not Virgin) 
Spices 

Spice Blend: All amounts are in Teaspoon amounts. (Note: 3 tsps = 1 Tbsp)

2 Salt
3 Oregano
3 Thyme
1 Black Pepper
1 White Pepper
1 Granulated Onion 
1 Paprika
1 Cayenne
1 Granulated Garlic

Pound the chicken breasts until 1/2 inches thick. But if nothing else, make sure that both breasts have the same thickness from stem to stern otherwise one will be finished before the other or one end of the chicken will be done long before the other end.  

Pat the chicken dry and on a plate, sprinkle the spice mix on all sides of the chicken and don't be skimpy. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours.  

Melt 1 Tbsp of the butter.

Remove breasts from the fridge and brush 1 Tbsp of melted butter on the top side. 

Add the remaining butter and oil to a metal skillet on your stovetop set at medium-high. Flick a little bit of water from your fingers into the pan and when it sizzles add the chicken buttered side up. 

One of the things that I found is cooking the meat too quickly which results in a blackened exterior and a raw interior. Adjust the heat accordingly. 

Check the bottom the breasts for that blackened look and when you got it, flip the breasts. If you think that the pan needs more oil  remember that you have the melted butter on the other side so no more is needed. If you think that more is needed, add more oil or butter but it's a good indication that the heat is too high.

The chicken is done when it's internal temp is 160 degrees and the best way to determine that is with a digital temperature probe. Just make sure you insert the tip of the probe in the middle of the meat and not through to the pan. 

When done plate and add your side dishes.  

Fried Soft Shell Crab with Etouffee Sauce and Coleslaw

Fresh or frozen soft shell crabs

1 Packet of Louisiana Fish Fry Cajun Etouffee Base

1-2 eggs

Some milk for the egg wash

Salt and pepper

Flour

Vegetable Oil 

Serve over steamed long grain rice.  (optional) 

Follow the instructions on the packet to make the Etouffee but do not add any of the crab. .

Place a 1/2 cup of flour on a plate, sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Carefully, and without ripping off any of the legs, dredge the crabs in the flour, place into a bowl of the egg wash and dredge in the flour a second time.

Note: Crab meat has a delicate flavor so just use salt and pepper as your seasoning.     

In a frying pan, add in the oil until it is about 1 inch deep. Heat to 350 degrees. 

Gently add the crabs to the now hot oil and fry turning as necessary until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.

Barr's Coleslaw with Tomatoes

   

Quick and Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe

Barr's Big Easy Shrimp Scampi 

2 Tbsp Olive oil

2 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp green onions or 1 1/2 tsp dried chives  

1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley or 1 1/2 tsp dried
1 Tbsp Basil Leaves or 1 1/2 tsp dried

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Clove Garlic diced or 1 tsp granulated garlic
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

8 Ounces shrimp and/or Scallops  

8 Ounces Fettuccine or Linguine boiled al dente in well-salted water.  

Add the pasta in a pot of water boiling. Read the directions to determine about how long the pasta takes to cook.   

Add the first 7 ingredients to a deep pan and saute until the shrimp is cooked through (pink in color).

Take the cooked and drained pasta and pour over the shrimp and combine with the cheese using tongs. Put the heat back on if necessary and adjust salt and pepper and then plate. 

Sprinkle the with Parmesan cheese and serve.   

Enjoy! 

Fish Veracruz Recipe

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Fish Veracruz

Ingredients for 2 servings:

Flakey fish fillets such as Cod for 2 persons

cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 white onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon capers

1 tablespoon caper brine

1 large jalapeño, sliced, seeded

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup sliced Castelvetrano green olives, or any green olive

2 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano

2 limes

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C)

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat . Stir in onion; cook and stir until onions begin to turn translucent, 6 to 7 minute.  Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add capers and caper juice; stir to combine.

Stir in tomatoes, olives, jalapeno pepper and cook and stir until jalapeño pepper softens and tomatoes begin to collapse, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in oregano.

Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil into a small baking dish. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of the tomato-olive mixture.  Top with 1 fish fillet, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Top with more filling and juice from 1 lime.  

Bake in the preheated oven until fish is flaky and no longer translucent, 15 to 20 minutes.

Complements of Chef John

Fried Shrimp Sandwich

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The primary ingredients are a quality bread, raw shelled and deveined shrimp, tartar sauce, Knoriko Creole Seasoning and Frank's REDHOT sauce.  The seasoning and hot sauce can be substituted for a brand of your liking. 

The Process:

Make the Tartar sauce:

1/2 cups Mayo

2 TBS finely diced dill pickles

1 TBS White Wine Vinegar 

1 TBS Capers finely diced

1 tsp coarse ground mustard

1 pinch ground pepper

Refrigerate immediately

In a frying pan add enough vegetable oil to cover the shrimp when frying, about 1/2 inch deep should be sufficient.  Heat to 350 degrees.

Measure out enough flour to roll the shrimp in twice and add in enough seasoning based on your particular tolerance for salt. Prepare a pan or shallow bowl and beat one egg with a little milk to make a bath. 

Dry the shrimp on paper towels and coat once in the flour.  Add the shrimp to the egg bath, ensure that they are coated evenly and then immediately return them to the flour mixture for another roll.  

Place the shrimp in the hot oil and fry until cooked through.  This usually takes only a minute or two depending on the size of the shrimp. Remove and drain on paper towels. 

Spread the tartar sauce on the bread, add the shrimp and sprinkle with the hot sauce.  

Enjoy!

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely diced pickles

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely diced capers
1 teaspoon coarse grained mustard
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

For best results, mix all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.