Soft-Shell Crabs in Surrey Bacon Dressing

• 1/4 pound Surrey or other smoky slab bacon, diced
• 1 medium-size red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups mayonnaise, preferably homemade
• 4 leaves red-leaf lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried
• 8 slices ripe tomato
• 4 tablespoons clarified butter or vegetable oil
• 2 cups flour seasoned with salt and pepper
• 8 soft-shell crabs, cleaned

1. Place diced bacon in a large, heavy skillet and cook over medium-low heat until all the fat is rendered and bacon bits are very crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, drain on a paper towel and reserve.
3. Add diced red onion to skillet and cook over medium heat until very soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Sprinkle sugar evenly over onions and cook over low heat, without stirring, until the sugar caramelizes, about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Cool completely, then fold into mayonnaise.
6. Put a lettuce leaf on each of 4 serving plates.
7. Put 2 tomato slices to one side on each plate.
8. Spoon chilled dressing over lettuce.
9. Pour clarified butter or oil into a large heavy skillet and heat over a medium flame.
10. Dredge 4 soft-shell crabs in seasoned flour, shaking off excess, and place in skillet.
11. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side (jumbos will take longer), until crisp.
12. Hold in a warm place while cooking remaining crabs.
13. Transfer to prepared plates and sprinkle with reserved bacon bits.
14. Serve at once.

bacon, red onion, sugar, mayonnaise, thoroughly dried, tomato, butter, flour, shell

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9240 (may not work)