Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
2 jumbo-sized fresh soft-shell crabs, and have your fishmonger trim off
the eyes and gills for you.
Miso Sauce:
3 teaspoons white miso
1 teaspoon mirin
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
Soy Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1-1/3 cup soy sauce
5 ounces chopped ginger
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Batter:
1 cup cornstarch
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup stone ground grits
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups club soda, or as needed
3 cups frying oil, preferably peanut oil
Garnish:
2 avocados, peeled and thinly sliced
Preparation:
For Miso Sauce: In a small mixing bowl, combine ingredients. Stir in
approximately 2-3 tablespoons water to make the sauce smooth. It should run
easily off your spoon.
For Soy Glaze: In a small saucepan, heat sugar over a very low flame
until sugar turns amber in color. Take pan off the heat and stir in soy
sauce. Return pan to the stove and cook at medium heat for another 10
minutes. Turn off flame, and add ginger, clove, and cinnamon, and let steep
for four hours. Strain liquid through a cheesecloth-lined strainer,
discarding solids. Reserve the sauce and keep at room temperature.
For Batter: In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and immediately
before frying, add club soda. Mix until the batter is smooth, where a steady
stream will pour from your spoon. Heat oil in a shallow pan to 350 degrees,
testing temperature with a candy thermometer. Drain off any excess water on
the soft-shell crabs by patting them dry on paper towels. Dip the crabs in
batter and fry in oil until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes on each
side.
To Plate:
Drizzle miso sauce and soy glaze onto two plates. Top each with
soft-shell crab. Garnish crab with avocado slices, placing them across the
crab in a scalloped pattern.
These recipes may be reproduced with the following credit:
Recipe(s) from 610 Magnolia by Chef
Edward Lee. Photo by Dan Dry.
