SOFT-SHELL CRAB TEMPURA LEMON GREMOLATA, PICKLED FRESNO PEPPERS
IT’S A LONG AND PASSIONATE affair between the Maryland soft-shell crab and me. Since they are indigenous to the New World, I’d never seen any until I came to the United States, but it was love at first bite. Then, every year in late spring, I would hop a plane to see my parents in Lyon and surreptitiously smuggle on board a bag of five or six dozen of the live creatures, ever so carefully packed. They traveled well and the next day, I would cook them for my whole family. What a rare feast! I often like them very crunchy, as in this recipe, wrapped in tempura batter but still tender and juicy at the core, with a peppery gremolata dressing and adorned with wild foraged Golden Alexander flowers.
Servings
6
Servings
6
Ingredients
Pickled Fresno Peppers
Broccoli Marmalade, Puree, and Broccolini
Lemon Gremolata
Soft-Shell Crabs
To Finish
Instructions
For the Pickled Fresno Peppers
  1. Slice the peppers into thin rounds and transfer to a heatproof container. In a small saucepan, combine the pickling liquid with the chili flakes and bring to a simmer. Pour over the top of the peppers and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 weeks.
For the Broccoli Marmalade, Puree, and Broccolini
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side. Trim away any woody stalks from the broccolini and cut them into 1-inch florets. Cut ½-inch florets from the broccoli heads and set aside. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the stalks, then cut them into rough 1-inch pieces.
  2. Boil the broccolini florets until tender, about 2 minutes, then chill in the ice water. Pat dry and reserve. Boil the broccoli florets until tender, about 2 minutes, then chill in the ice water. Remove, pat dry, and transfer to a cutting board. Finely chop the florets and transfer one-third to a blender. Boil the broccoli stalks until tender, about 3 minutes, then transfer to the blender with the florets. Add the olive oil and puree until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Pass the puree through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl set over ice and stir until chilled. Reserve the remaining chopped florets, chilled.
For the Lemon Gremolata
  1. In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, supremes, olive oil, black pepper, and fleur de sel. Just before serving, stir in the lumpfish caviar and the chives.
For the Soft-Shell Crabs
  1. Fill one-third of a medium saucepan with canola oil and heat to 350°F. Use kitchen shears to cut off the face of a crab, about ½ inch behind the eyes and mouth; squeeze out the small sac located directly behind the eyes and mouth. Lift the pointed ends of the crab’s outer shell to cut away the gills. Turn the crab over and snip off the small flap (apron). Rinse the crab well and pat dry. Repeat with the remaining crabs. With long tweezers or a fork, dip the crabs individually into the tempura batter to coat and fry until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel–lined tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. With a sharp knife, cut the crabs in half crosswise.
To Finish
  1. Melt the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat and add the broccolini. Toss to heat through and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer the puree to a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir to heat through. Scoop half of the hot puree into a squeeze bottle or piping bag; keep warm. Stir the reserved chopped florets into the remaining puree to heat through; adjust the seasoning if needed.
  2. For each serving, pipe 2 parallel lines of puree about 3 inches apart onto a warm plate. Spoon marmalade into the center and top with 2 crab halves, claws facing upward. Garnish with a few pieces of broccolini, pickled peppers, and baby lettuce leaves. Sprinkle the lemon gremolata and Golden Alexander flowers over the top.