Cooking for Zo

Taste Level: VGR
Cost: $20 and over
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 15-20 min.
Cook Time: 10-15 min.
Difficulty: 2

Delicious to eat and fun to make!

Ingredients:
Crabs
3 soft shell crabs
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto (or marinara)
1/4 cup Brummel and brown
3-4 cups peanut oil (if frying)

Stuffing
2 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 6.5 oz jar marinated Artichoke hearts (drained, chopped)
1 jalapeno (seeded, diced)
1 tbsp fresh Romano (finely grated)
1 tbsp fresh Parmesan (finely grated)
fresh crack pepper medley (to taste)

Coating
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 tbsp fresh Romano (finely grated)
2 tbsp fresh Parmesan (finely grated)
1/2 tsp essence
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
fresh crack pepper medley (to taste)

Coating
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until even.

Stuffing
Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl until mixed well.

Crabs
Heat oil in a medium sauce pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dry soft shell crabs with paper towels. Once dried use a fillet knife to separate the back half of the top shell from the crabs (make sure to leave the front connected.) Fill each crab with 1 1/2 tbsp of stuffing and then fold top shells back over the stuffing.

Heat remaining stuffing on a baking safe dish at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.

Roll each crab in Brummel and brown and then in the bread crumb mixture until coated well. Take coated crabs and place into heated oil, cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil using a slotted frying spatula and place on a plate covered in paper towels.

Once all crabs are cooked spoon the remaining stuffing into 3 separate even beds and top with 1 tsp of sun dried tomato pesto (or marinara.) Lay one crab over each bed and spoon 1 tbsp of sun dried tomato pesto or (marinara) over each before serving hot. Enjoy!

(You can alternately bake crab for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. You will want to spoon 1 tsp of marinara into each crab with stuffing to keep them moist.)