Sautéed Soft-Shell Crabs
with Country Ham and Shiitake Mushrooms

Recipe courtesy of Virginia Marine Products Board.

Recipe Ingredients:

12 Virginia soft shell crabs, cleaned
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons unsalted butter - divided use
6 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/4 pound country ham, cut in julienne strips

Cooking Directions:

1. Rinse and pat crabs dry with paper towel. Combine flour, salt and pepper then dust crabs, using up to 1/2 cup, as necessary.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in large sauté pan. When butter is hot, carefully sauté crabs until golden brown on both sides, then remove from pan and hold warm.
3. In a clean sauté pan, sauté cucumbers in 2 tablespoons butter.
4. In a separate pan, sauté mushrooms and ham in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
5. When all the ingredients are hot, divide cucumbers between 6 individual dinner plates, then place 2 soft-shell crabs per serving on top of cucumbers. Finish by spooning shiitake and ham mixture over the crabs.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of Virginia Marine Products Board.