Leave room for these soft-shell crabs

A late-summer dinner of soft-shell crabs is my favorite way to offset the onslaught of Halloween candy displays. Here, the crabs are treated to a quick, herby sauce that comes together after they are saut?ed and out of the pan, so the crisp parts stay crisp.

In the pan, give them more space than they appear to need, as we’ve done in this recipe, to keep the crabs from steaming in their own juices. Sometimes, trapped liquid inside the crabs can heat up and “spit” in the pan — another reason to give them room. Serve with saut?ed sugar snap peas or shishito peppers.

Soft-Shell Crabs With Tarragon Sauce

2 servings.

Adapted from a recipe at TheCrabPlace.com.

Leaves from 2 stems fresh tarragon

2 fresh sage leaves

2 large fresh basil leaves

8 to 10 fresh oregano leaves

½ medium shallot

Rice flour or all-purpose flour

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

4 small fresh soft-shell crabs, cleaned/dressed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

¼ cup dry white wine

Finely chop the leaves of tarragon, sage, basil and oregano (to taste, and depending on their size); heaping them together is OK. Mince the shallot, keeping it in a separate pile.

Place the flour in a wide, shallow bowl. Season it well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Meanwhile, use paper towels to pat the crabs dry as much as possible, pressing them gently to dislodge any pockets of moisture. Press both sides of each crab into the flour mixture, making sure they are evenly coated. Gently tap to remove any excess flour.

Once the oil shimmers, add to 2 of the floured crabs to the skillet, top sides down. Cook until golden and lightly browned on the edges, for about 2 minutes or until the crab’s underside loses its translucent look and become somewhat plump. Turn them over and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the second sides; the crabs legs should feel crisp and somewhat set in place. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Repeat with the remaining 2 crabs (no need to add more oil).

Wipe out the oil from the skillet, then return the pan to the stove, over medium-low heat. Add the butter; once it has melted, add the shallot, vinegar and wine; cook, stirring or whisking, until the mixture takes on an almost creamy consistency. Stir in the chopped herbs; remove from the heat.

Divide the crabs between individual plates, then pour the pan sauce over them. Serve right away.

Nutrition Per serving (using rice flour): 310 calories, 21 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 20 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 470 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 1 g sugar