Sautéed Soft-Shell Crabs with Cucumber-Lime Salsa

The Foster's Market Cookbook
Sara Foster with Sarah Belk King
Martha Stewart has endorsed this cookbook, written by Foster, a former chef of Martha's catering company, and founder of Foster's Markets in North Carolina. Delicious down-home recipes are easy to follow; please try the Sauteed Soft Shell Crabs with Cucumber Lime Salsa (p. 197). Hardcover, 318 pp., $53.00.

Serve this dish when live soft-shell crabs (blue crabs that have shed their shells are available, from April to mid-September.

Serves 4

8 live soft-shell crabs
16 fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup canola or safflower oil
2 cups Cucumber-Lime Salsa (recipe follows)
2 lemons, cut into quarters

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Clean the crabs by clipping the face right behind the eyes and tail flap. Pull up both sides of the top shell and remove the gills. Rinse well and pat dry. Place a basil leaf under each area where you removed the gills.

3. Mix the flour and cornmeal in a bowl with the red pepper, salt and black pepper. Dip each crab in the flour mixture and shake off any excess flour. Set aside.

4. Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot and a pinch of flour sizzles when dropped in the oil. Add the crabs 4 at a time and cook, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown. (Note: The oil has to be quite hot so the crabs will brown. However, be careful when turning the crabs, as the hot oil sometimes "pops.") Transfer the crabs to drain on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet, then place in the oven to keep warm while the others are cooking, adding the remaining olive oil as needed. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

5. Spoon 1/2 cup of the salsa onto each plate. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over each crab. Place 2 crabs on top of each of the pools of salsa, and serve immediately.

Cucumber-Lime Salsa

Makes 3 to 4 cups salsa.

2 cups fresh cilantro (about 2 bunches), washed and stems removed
7 scallions, trimmed and chopped
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced

1. Place the cilantro, scallions, lime juice, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process on high speed until pureed.

2. Slowly add the olive oil, with the motor running until all the oil is incorporated. Remove from the bowl of the processor, place in a bowl with the cucumbers and stir to blend. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use or up to 1 day.

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