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Lemon and Old Bay Grilled Soft-Shell Crabs

Grilled soft-shell crabs brushed with lemon-Old Bay butter, served with a baharat-spiced red-pepper mashed potato.

Total 15 minutes

From Apple News

crabgrillseafoodside dishamerican
Illustration of Lemon and Old Bay Grilled Soft-Shell Crabs
Illustration

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, (4 oz)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 small shallots, minced
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
  • 6 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
  • sea salt, to taste
  • ground white pepper, to taste
  • oil, for greasing grill
  • water, salted
  • 3 cups buttermilk
  • 2 russet potatoes, peeled and medium diced
  • 2 red bell peppers, medium to large, halved and deseeded
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp baharat seasoning
  • 2 soft-shell crabs, cleaned, grilled as above

Steps

1Prepare the grill and make Old Bay butter

  1. Prepare a grill for high-heat cooking, oil the grate well, and keep the lid closed.
  2. Melt 1 stick unsalted butter in a saucepan over high heat.
  3. Add 2 cloves garlic to the butter.
  4. Add 2 small shallots to the butter.
  5. Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon to the butter.
  6. Add 1 sprig thyme to the butter.
  7. Add 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning to the butter.
  8. Cook the butter mixture until fragrant, about 2 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic brown.

2Grill the crabs

  1. Brush 6 cleaned soft-shell crabs with the Old Bay butter and season with sea salt and ground white pepper.
  2. Place the crabs on the grill, shell-side down, and cover the lid.
  3. Grill for 2-3 minutes, depending on size.
  4. Baste the crabs with more Old Bay butter, flip them, and grill another 2-3 minutes until the crabs turn red/orange and are cooked through.

3Prepare the baharat red pepper potatoes

  1. Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat.
  2. Add the 2 diced russet potatoes and boil until soft, about 10 minutes.
  3. Drain the potatoes and mash them in a medium bowl.
  4. Season the mashed potatoes with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Roast the 2 red bell peppers on the grill until charred, about 3 minutes per side.
  6. Purée the roasted peppers in a food processor.
  7. Fold the pepper purée into the mashed potatoes.
  8. Add 2 tbsp baharat seasoning to the potato mixture and stir to combine.
  9. Stir 2 tbsp lemon juice into the potatoes.
  10. Season the potatoes with salt to taste.
  11. Season the potatoes with pepper to taste.

4Assemble and serve

  1. Divide the mashed potato-pepper mixture between two plates.
  2. Top each plate with a grilled crab.