Sautéed Soft-Shell Crabs With Lemon-Butter Pan Sauce

Sautéed Soft-Shell Crabs With Lemon-Butter Pan Sauce

Sautéed soft-shell crabs are a delicious delicacy, cooked to crispy perfection and paired with a zesty lemon-butter pan sauce. The crabs are lightly seasoned, then sautéed to achieve a crispy texture on the outside while remaining tender on the inside. This dish is perfect for a light, yet indulgent meal. Try our recipe and order soft-shell crabs online from Pearl Seafoods, with fast delivery across Sydney.

Recipe Information

Serves

2 people

Preparation

5 minutes

Cooking

15 minutes

Difficulty

Moderate

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 large soft-shell crabs, preferably jumbo or “whale” size, cleaned
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons; 120g) unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 tablespoon drained capers
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice from one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems

Steps

  1. In a shallow bowl, season flour with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge crabs in the seasoned flour.
  2. In a 10-inch stainless steel skillet, melt 4 tablespoons (60g) butter over medium-high heat until foamy. Add crabs, shell-side down, and cook until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes; be careful, as soft-shell crabs sometimes pop in the pan. Flip crabs and cook until crisp and golden on bottom side, about 3 minutes. Transfer crabs to paper towel-lined plates and season lightly with salt.
  3. Add remaining 4 tablespoons (60g) butter to skillet and melt until foaming. Lower heat to medium and cook until butter turns a medium-brown color, about 2 minutes.
  4. Add capers and cook until lightly crisped, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice, swirl to combine, and remove from heat.
  5. Stir parsley into pan sauce, season with salt, if needed. Transfer crabs to a serving platter and spoon sauce on top. Serve right away.