Stuffed Soft-Shell Crabs. Photo by Vanda Lewis.
Mariner’s Menu
Spring Succulence
BY VANDA LEWIS AND JOYCE TAYLOR
Mariner’s Menu, one of the fastest-growing sites for seafood recipes on the web, features blogger and photographer Vanda Lewis’s pictures with recipes the late Joyce Taylor developed. Enjoy these delights this spring.
STUFFED SOFT-SHELL CRABS
- 8 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup green onions, minced, including tops
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic, pressed
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground
- 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium skillet and lightly sauté the onions. Stir in garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove the skillet from heat, and combine with crumbs and Parmesan.
Place crabs in a well-greased baking dish, bottom sides down. Lift each side of top shells, and fill with stuffing mix. Replace the shells. Brush crabs with 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake at 400° F until shells are reddish-brown and until the crabs are done, about 15 minutes.
Tips: If you want fresh soft-shell crabs, check with markets when the moon is full. Many markets also carry frozen soft-shell crabs. Visit MarinersMenu.org for cleaning instructions and more.
Tex-Mex Shrimp. Photo by Vanda Lewis.
TEX-MEX SHRIMP
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup tequila (white or silver)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
For marinade, in a small bowl combine butter, tequila, lime juice, chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic, and Tabasco. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade.
Stir the shrimp into the remaining marinade, and mix well. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes, stirring once.
Place the rack in the top third of the oven, and preheat the broiler.
Remove shrimp from the marinade. Place them on a greased broiler pan. Broil about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn shrimp over, and brush with the remaining marinade. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes longer or until done.
Monkfish Bisque. Photo by Vanda Lewis.
MONKFISH BISQUE
- 1 pound of poached monkfish (begin with 1 1/2 pounds of raw fish)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup potatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups heavy cream
Poach the fish in lightly salted water. Coarsely chop, and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Sauté potatoes, carrots, and celery until tender. Remove from the pan, and purée. Return to the pan. Add salt, pepper, and basil. Add broth, wine, and heat. Blend in the cream, stirring continuously.
Add fish, and heat for about 5 minutes.
Note: Don’t miss our recipe for Grilled Striped Bass with Herb Butter in Magic at 64.4 Degrees.
Visit the Mariner’s Menu archive of free recipes.