Tempura Fried Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches With Tartar Sauce Slaw And Crispy Old Bay Chips Recipes

Steps:

• Make the slaw: Trim and peel the daikon, then shred on the large holes of a box grater. Transfer to a colander and squeeze dry. Whisk the lime juice and honey in a medium bowl. Add the cilantro and daikon; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Refrigerate the slaw until ready to serve.
• Make the aioli: Combine the mayonnaise, sambal oelek and tomato paste in a small bowl. Grate in the garlic, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
• Clean the crabs (if live): Cut off the front of each crab just behind the eyes and mouth using kitchen shears; remove any yellow matter from the inside with your fingers, if desired.
• Grab one of the pointy ends of the top shell and peel it back to reveal the gills; cut out the gills and discard. Repeat on the other side.
• Flip the crab over and pull back the small flap known as the apron. Use your fingers to pull it off.
• Cook the crabs: Put the flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the crabs in the seasoned flour, turning to coat both sides; shake off the excess flour and set aside. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and swirl the pan until the foaming stops. Add the crabs to the pan and cook until they start to turn an orange-red color, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and season immediately with salt.
• Build your sandwich: Set your rolls cut-side down in the same pan and cook until golden. Slather the roll tops with some of the chile aioli. Sandwich a hot crab and a scoop of slaw on each roll.

Steps:

• Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch into a large Dutch oven, and heat to 350°.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt.
• Stir yolk into soda water in a 2-cup measure until blended; pour over flour mixture, and, using a large fork, gently combine (the batter should remain slightly lumpy and should have the consistency of heavy cream).
• Dip 2 crabs into batter, letting excess batter drip back into bowl, and carefully slip into the hot oil, top-side down. Fry 1 1/2 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels, then transfer to a baking sheet, and keep warm in a 200° oven. Repeat with remaining oil and crabs.
• Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve with Asian Slaw and Crab Dipping Sauce.

Steps:

• For Tempura Batter: Whisk together ingredients. Can be used for up to 1 hour. Keep cold!
• For Crabs: Heat 1/4-inch of corn or peanut oil in a heavy skillet until very hot but not smoking. Fry the crabs in batches for about 2 minutes on the first side, then turn and fry for another minute. The crust should be golden. Be prepared the crabs will split when you fry them; a splatter screen will come in handy.
• Drain on paper towels and serve with dipping sauces.
• For Balsamic Syrup: Put all ingredients together and reduce over medium heat, down to 1/4 of its liquid. Strain and discard onion.
• For Red Pepper Syrup: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Reduce down to 3/4 of a cup. Thicken with the arrowroot.
• For Wasabi Cream: Dissolve Wasabi in water. Whisk in creme fraiche and lemon juice. Season with salt.

Steps:

• For the tartar sauce slaw: Whisk together the cornichons, mayonnaise, capers, mustard, sugar, lemon juice, onion and some salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cabbage and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• For the Old Bay potato chips: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spread the potato chips in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake, just to warm, 2 minutes. Put the Old Bay in a small mesh strainer and tap evenly over the chips; toss the chips lightly.
• For the soft-shell crabs: Set a rack in a baking sheet. Heat 3 to 4 inches of oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until it registers 375 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer. Whisk together 2 cups of the rice flour and 2 cups water until smooth, then season with salt and pepper and some hot sauce if using.
• Put the remaining 1 cup rice flour in a shallow dish and season with some salt and pepper. Sprinkle the crabs with salt and pepper.
• Dredge 2 crabs in flour and tap off the excess. Dip in the tempura batter, letting any excess run off. Fry until golden brown, crispy and just cooked through, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain on the rack. Repeat with the remaining 2 crabs.
• For the sandwiches: Put some of the slaw on the bottom of each bun and top with a fried crab. Add a bit more slaw and a tomato slice and top with chips. Close sandwiches with the tops of the buns and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat about 3 inches of oil in a saucepan to about 400 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk and beer until creamy. Put flour in a separate bowl. Dip soft shell crabs into wet batter and then dip into flour. Drop battered crab into hot oil. Fry crab for 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve on buns, with tartar sauce, tomato and lettuce.
• Mix mayonnaise, horseradish, pickles, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Add lemon juice. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Yield: about 3 cups

Steps:

• Make the Tartar Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, onion, pickle, capers with spicy tartar sauce chives, Old Bay, lemon juice, and hot pepper sauce. Set aside.
• To Cook the Crabs: In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Dredge the crabs to coat on both sides.
• Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the butter to the skillet and swirl the pan to melt it. Add the crabs top side down and cook, shaking the pan once or twice, until crisp and browned, about 3 minutes. The crabs may pop and splatter, so be careful.
• Flip the crabs and cook until crisp and just cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the crab should read 145°F), about 3 minutes more. Transfer the crabs to a large paper-towel-lined plate.
• To Assemble the Sandwiches: Spread the tartar sauce on the 8 slices of toast. Top 4 of the toast slices, sauce side up, with a piece of lettuce and 1 or 2 slices of tomato. Put one crab on each sandwich, top with the remaining toast, sauce side down, and serve.

Steps:

• Lay crabs backside down on a cutting board, and cut in half lengthwise, so that each half has a claw.
• Stir about 1 1/4 cups water into the flour to make a smooth, thick batter. Add baking soda and ice cubes.
• Pour enough oil into a deep pot to fill it halfway, and heat to 375 degrees. (To test, carefully sprinkle a drop or two of water into the pot. If the oil rumbles, it's not hot enough. If it crackles, it is.)
• Dip crab pieces, four at a time, into batter, and immediately drop into hot oil. Stir after several seconds to separate the pieces, then cook until golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining crab pieces. Salt to taste, and serve immediately.