Tempura Soft-Shell Crabs and Spring Vegetables
SERVINGS: 4
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes
COURSE: Appetizer
When soft-shell crabs are in season, we like to make the most of it. One of our favorite ways to cook them? Frying them until they’re golden, like in this simple tempura recipe. It results in an irresistibly crunchy exterior—thanks to the light and airy batter—and tender, juicy crabmeat within. To accompany them, spring vegetables like asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, and mushrooms take a dip in, too. Make sure to keep any ingredients that are already fried in the warm oven—it'll help them retain that perfect crispy coating.
Ingredients
Crabs and Vegetables:- 2 qt. vegetable or preferred oil
- 8 asparagus spears, peeled
- ½ lb. fiddlehead ferns or sugar snap peas, cleaned
- 16 thick shiitake mushroom caps or other wild mushrooms—cleaned and stems removed
- 1 medium-sized eggplant—peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 large Citarella Roasted Sweet Potato—skin removed and cut into 2-inch chunks
- Sea salt, to taste
- 8 whole, live soft-shell crabs—cleaned and cut in half
- Soy sauce, for serving
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- ¾ cup corn starch
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups very cold sparkling water or seltzer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Place the oil in a large, deep pot. Heat oil on low heat until it reaches a temperature of 350°F.
- For the tempura batter, mix all of the dry ingredients. Add sparkling water or seltzer. Whisk until blended, trying not to over-beat.
- Prepare a sheet pan with a wire rack set inside. This will be where you place the crabs and vegetables after they’re fried.
- Dip each piece of vegetable in the batter; then, carefully drop it into the hot oil. Fry until golden-brown. Timing varies per vegetable and should be done in small batches.
- When the vegetables are cooked, sprinkle with sea salt, place them in the oven, and keep warm.
- Dip each crab half into the batter and carefully place into the oil. Fry until golden, about 4-5 minutes, turning the crabs in the oil to make sure that all sides are cooked. Remove from the oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve with the vegetables and your favorite soy sauce.
Begin Each Recipe with the Finest Seafood
Citarella owner, Joe Gurrera has 7 rules when it comes to cooking seafood. The first rule is to begin with the freshest, highest quality ingredients. And at Citarella, we have been bringing in the best for over a century. Whether it’s right out of the Atlantic, fresh from the Pacific, or sourced from one of the world’s most principled seafood farms, if it’s sold at Citarella, it’s the finest seafood available on the market today. Period.
