Shellfish: Softshell Crabs 11 by Recipe Cottage

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	Softshell Crabs 11

		Soft-shell Crabs with Creamy Tomato Sauce Yield: 4 servings 6 T olive oil 6 garlic clove; thinly sliced 6 lg shallots; thinly sliced 1/2 ts cumin seeds 1/4 ts celery seeds 1/4 ts crushed red pepper 1 ts salt 1 ts freshly ground black pepper 1/2 ts sugar 35 oz whole tomatoes, packed in juice, drained & chopped 1 c creme fraiche 1 c flour 8 soft-shell crabs; cleaned In a large nonreactive skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are translucent and the garlic begins to brown, 5 to 6 minutes (don't let the garlic get too brown or it will be bitter). Stir in the cumin and celery seeds, red pepper and 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the sugar and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. Add the creme fraiche and simmer for 6 minutes longer. Cover and keep warm. Preheat the oven to 250F. On a plate, toss the flour with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Pat the crabs dry with paper towels and dredge them in the seasoned flour. In a large skillet, preferably nonstick, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over moderately high heat. Add 4 of the crabs and cook, turning once, until red and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the crabs to a heatproof platter and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 4 crabs. To serve, spoon the tomato sauce onto 4 warmed plates and arrange 2 crabs on the sauce on each plate.