Soft shell crab season is here and I could not resist one of my favorite summer treats. To me the ultimate way to indulge in this delicacy is Japanese style – which can be done tempura battered or you can use panko bread crumbs which I used for this variation. I found a delicious Tempura dipping sauce from Saveur.com. I couldn’t find fresh daikon, but it was delicious enough without this one ingredient. Here is the original recipe / http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Tempura-Dipping-Sauce. A true Seduction Meal, serve with chilled sake over ice with a slice of cucumber, your favorite Japanese beer or white wine.
Japanese Style Soft-Shell Crab Appetizer with Tempura Dipping Sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients / soft-shell crabs
2 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste
coconut oil for pan-frying
Directions
Ask your butcher/fish market to clean soft-shell crabs: cut away the lungs, the apron and the head section. Everything else is edible.
Soak the cleaned soft-shell crabs in the milk for 20 minutes
Place the panko bread crumbs on a large plate and season with salt and pepper.
Take the milk-soaked crab and shake the excess liquid off, coat crabs with the egg
place crab on top of the bread crumbs and gently press down, coating all sides. Make sure that the crabs are well-coated
Heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat and add an inch-of coconut oil.
Pan-fry on both sides until golden and crispy. About 3 minutes per side.
Deep fry each crab separately until the panko becomes golden brown.
Remove and drain crabs; set aside.
Tempura Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1 piece of KOMBU (about 2″ x 10″)
1 1/2 cup water
2 tbsp dried bonito flakes
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
1 tbsp peeled and finely grated ginger
Directions
Bring kombu and 1½ cups water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan.
Stir in bonito flakes, and remove from heat; let steep for 5 minutes.
Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl, return to saucepan, and add soy sauce, mirin, daikon, and ginger; bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before serving.
