Soft Shell Crabs with Chile Sauce

At first glance these eye-catching chile peppers look like red jalapeno. However, they have a different flavor and are less meaty than Jalapeno. Red Fresnos are great roasted and added to salsas. Try grilling them alongside your steaks or in kabobs.

When roasting these they should char, blister, and become soft. Try substituting these in your favorite chile recipes.

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Ingredients:

Sauce:
1 cup of water mixed with 1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
5 Tbsp. tomato catsup
1-1/2 to 3 Tbsp. sugar, or according to taste
1 tsp. pounded brown preserved soya beans or dark miso (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt

Softshells:
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
8 fresh red Fresno chiles, roughly chopped
1 egg
2 scallions, cut into 2″ lengths
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 pound cleaned soft shelled crabs
4 Tbsp. flour
oil for deep frying
1 small bunch cilantro
fresh lime wedges

Instructions:

Sauce:

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring them to a boil. Keep warm.

Heat the oil in a wok or shallow saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the chiles and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the sauce mixture and stir well, cover with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes. Break eggs into the wok and streak with a fork, simmer until cooked. Squeeze lime juice over and stir in scallions.

Softshells:

Cut each crab into four pieces, dry them well and dredge in the flour. Deep fry the crab pieces in oil that has been heated to 350F, until golden brown and crispy.

Toss the soft shelled crab pieces in the sauce just before serving. Serve on individual plates and garnish with cilantro leaves and fresh lime wedges.

Yields 4 appetizer servings.