| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons red curry paste
- Finely grated zest of 1 lime, plus the juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha (Asian chile sauce)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Sweet chili sauce, for serving
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 6 medium soft shell crabs, cleaned
- 1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup cold seltzer
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Make the dipping sauces: Whisk the mayonnaise, curry paste, lime zest and 1 tablespoon of the lime juice in a small bowl until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Combine the remaining lime juice with the garlic, fish sauce, sugar, Sriracha and 1 tablespoon cold water in a separate small bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cilantro, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the crab fries: Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360 degrees F. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet.
- Meanwhile, cut the crabs into quarters with kitchen shears; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Whisk the cake flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; add the seltzer and scallions and whisk just enough to make a lumpy batter.
- Working in batches, dip the crab pieces in the batter, then carefully add them to the hot oil and fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. (Use a mesh screen if you have one; the crabs may splatter.) Remove the crab fries with a strainer or slotted spoon and transfer to the wire rack; season with salt. Let the oil return to 360 degrees F between batches. Serve the crab fries with the sweet chili sauce, curry mayonnaise and cilantro-lime sauce.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 709 |
| Total Fat | 55 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 25 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 28 g |
| Cholesterol | 118 mg |
| Sodium | 887 mg |
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