Spoon & Shutter

Soft Shell Crabs with brown butter and capers

From Spoon: The ripe local tomatoes, blueberries, corn and lobsters will show up soon enough, but in season now are one of our very favorite food pleasures – soft shell crabs. You’ll find them on restaurant menus, but it’s simple and much less-expensive to saute ‘em up at home with a little butter, white wine, lemon and maybe a few capers thrown in.

We love them so much that on a recent weekend on Long Beach Island at the Jersey Shore, we made them two nights in a row! They were specially priced – 6 for 30 bucks – at our go-to fish market, Boulevard Clams in Surf City. Wherever you buy them, ask the fish monger to clean them for you to save a messy step. These soft shells were plump, meaty and absolutely delicious – a preview of summer goodies to come.

Ted’s Soft Shell Crabs

Serves 4

8 soft shell crabs, cleaned

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (more if needed)

salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic, peeled

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoon capers

Place the flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the crabs in the seasoned flour, gently shaking off the excess, and transfer them to a wire rack.

Heat one large or two small cast-iron skillets over medium-high heat. Chop the garlic roughly. Add the olive oil and garlic to the pan or pans and saute briefly until garlic softens. Add the crabs, shell side down, and cook for about 5 minutes, until they start to turn red, then turn them over and saute for 2-3 minutes on the other side. Add the wine and the lemon juice and allow to simmer for another minute or so.

Remove the crabs to a wire rack. Turn the heat to low and add the butter and capers, stirring until the butter is slightly browned.

Serve 2 crabs per person with the sauce poured over the top.