Oatmeal-Crusted Soft-Shell Crabs with Brown Butter
- 1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
- 1 cup Wondra flour
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 8 medium soft-shell crabs, cleaned
- 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- In a spice mill or clean coffee grinder, grind the oatmeal to a fine powder.
- Transfer the oatmeal to a large, shallow bowl and whisk in the flour.
- Season the mixture generously with salt and pepper.
- In another large, shallow bowl, beat the egg with the buttermilk.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Dip 1 crab at a time in the buttermilk mixture and shake off any excess, then dredge it thoroughly in the oatmeal flour to make a thin coating.
- Transfer the crab to the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining crabs.
- In each of 2 large skillets, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in 4 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat.
- Fry 4 crabs in each skillet until browned and crisp on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
- Turn the crabs and fry until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- Using a slotted spatula, transfer 2 crabs to each plate.
- Wipe out 1 of the skillets.
- Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and cook over moderately high heat until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add the capers and cook until they start sizzling and open into flowers, about 1 minute.
- Add the lemon juice and swirl to blend with the butter.
- Drizzle the brown butter sauce over the crabs and around the plates.
- Sprinkle the parsley over the crabs and serve at once.
oatmeal, flour, salt, egg, buttermilk, shell, butter, vegetable oil, capers, lemon juice, flatleaf parsley
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/oatmeal-crusted-soft-shell-crabs-brown-butter (may not work)